Real Housewives of the Ring
by IKindaDigCrazyGuys
Summary: The wives and girlfriends of 4 top WWE superstars get to know each other and themselves when they are forced to spend time together. Randy Orton/OC Liz; Wade Barrett/OC Parker; Seth Rollins/OC Mela; John Cena/OC Kiana. Rated M for language and smut.
1. Chapter 1

**Real Housewives of the Ring- Chapter 1**

**A/N: This is the first fic where I actually use the likeness of other people. Special thanks to tumblr users shanna-kayfabe, leggomycreampuff, and all-day-i-dream-about-seth for allowing me to base Parker, Mela, and Kiana on them consecutively. Those three characters and Liz are my original characters. Visit my profile for the link to the Polyvore collection based on this fic. Please review. **

**Summary: The wives and girlfriends of 4 top WWE superstars get to know each other and themselves when they are forced to spend time together. Randy Orton/OC Liz; Wade Barrett/OC Parker; Seth Rollins/OC Mela; John Cena/OC Kiana. Rated M for language and smut. **

Most of the athletes on the WWE roster were elated to be in Florida for the next week; tonight they were filming Smackdown. Most of them lived in the surrounding cities of Miami, so there would be no long flights to take after the show. They could just go home and get some sleep in their own beds.

It was about an hour before the show started when all the superstars and divas crowed a room for the production meeting led by Paul, better known as Triple H.

"Alright," Paul started. "Not much to discuss tonight; just remember to be safe out there and make sure you give the crowd a good show. The only thing that's really worth discussing is our new opportunity at exposure," he said. Paul looked towards his wife, Stephanie McMahon.

She smiled and took a deep breath. "Since Total Divas ended its first season, we have been getting calls from some popular franchise shows. VH1 and Bravo have been going head to head to determine who would get our attention. As most of you might not know, Bravo has a very popular franchise in reality shows about housewives from different areas of the country. They contacted us about starting up a new show about the wives of wrestling," she said.

Divas and Superstars groaned; not many of them were excited about yet another reality show being brought to WWE.

"So," Stephanie continued. "We would really appreciate it if you guys could talk to your wives or even girlfriends about this opportunity and let us know ASAP if your wife or girlfriend is interested," she said.

A few guys nodded; some just rolled their eyes. The Divas were just glad that the reality show would finally exclude them, for once.

Paul took the floor again. "Like I said, not much to talk about tonight. The show starts in about 45 minutes so those of you in the Superstars matches need to be getting ready right now. Have fun out there, tonight, guys," he said closing out the meeting.

After the show, Randy Orton and John Cena were the last two to leave, as usual. They were each packing up their bags while they talked about the possibility of their partners being featured in the reality show.

"How do you think Liz will react to something like this?" John asked his best friend.

Randy chuckled. "You know she'll be excited about it. She loves that kind of shit," he said.

John laughed. "Kiana does, too. I don't understand how those show are so popular,"

"People will watch anything these days," Randy said shaking his head.

The older man nodded. "You think Wade'll ask Parker about it?" he asked.

Randy sighed. "I fuckin' hope so. If Liz _and _Kiana both want to do it, they'll need Parker to keep them from kicking each other's ass," he said.

John nodded to agree. "I just wish they didn't hate each other so much. Why can't they get along?" he asked rhetorically.

"You're asking the wrong person, man. Women are too goddamn complicated for me to understand," Randy said.

Neither of the men knew why Randy's wife, Liz, and John's girlfriend, Kiana didn't get along. They had never really liked each other. From the moment they met, Liz and Kiana had been at each other throats. Liz even confessed to only inviting Kiana to her wedding because John was one of Randy's groomsmen.

In the five or six years Liz and Kiana had known each other, the only time they spent time in the same room was when it involved both of their men. Any other time, they did their best to avoid each other. When prompted, they pretended to get along; but everyone knew that if it was up to the two women, they would brawl every chance they got.

Randy stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm headed out. Liz said she was doing some shopping today so I know I'll get to sit through a one woman fashion show," he said jokingly.

John laughed. "Alright man. I'm headed home, too. Will I see you before Monday?" he asked.

The taller man thought for a moment. "I don't know. I mean the party is tomorrow, but I'll see if I can fit you in this 5 day break even though I'll be chillin' at home with my wife," he said sarcastically.

John laughed dryly. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, huh?" he asked.

"See ya, man," Randy said as he left.

**Barrett Residence **

"Parker?" Wade called when he walked into the house. He smiled when he heard the response of a sweet voice. He followed the sound to the laundry room where his wife was folding fresh laundry. Parker smiled when she saw Wade. "Bear!" she squealed as she threw herself into her husband's strong arms.

Parker Nolan-Barrett is a 25-year-old who lucked out and married the love of her life one year ago. She and Wade dated for 3 and a half years after meeting each other in a Florida airport. Parker had no idea who Wade was when they met; she wasn't familiar with him in WWE. The first thing she noticed about Wade in the airport was the size of his ears. She initially saw the Englishman from behind and quietly laughed at his ears.

After he approached her with such chivalry, Parker ended up actually liking him. The kind man asked her out for lunch and the rest was history.

"How was the show?" she asked when Wade put her back on her feet.

"It was pretty good, I guess," he said hesitantly.

Parker frowned. She knew something was bothering her husband. She put the laundry aside and hopped up on the dryer and pulled Wade close to her. With her arms draped around his neck, Parker gazed into his olive green eyes. "What's going on, Bear?" she asked as she gently rubbed his ears.

Wade sighed as he caressed the small of her back. "I know you aren't going to like this, but I'm only following orders from the boss," he started. Parker took a deep breath to brace herself. "They want to do another reality show and they told us to ask our wives if they're interested. So, would you be interested in starring in WWE's version of a housewives reality show?" he asked.

Parker thought for a moment. "I don't know. I don't think I want to be on one of those shows that only shows my bad side. They like to make people seem different from what they really are. They'd probably make me look like some chick from hell," she said.

Wade laughed. "That'd be impossible. You're probably one the most pleasant people I know. We've been together for almost 5 years and I have yet to hear you raise your voice," he said.

Parker smiled at the compliment. "So, any of the wives and girlfriends can be on the show?" she asked.

He nodded. "I guess. They told us all to ask. I know for sure that Cena is going to talk to his girlfriend—what's her name? Kristy?"

"Kiana," Parker corrected him. He nodded. "What's Liz going to do? Does she want to do it?" she asked about her best friend of 4 years.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't talk to Randy before I left. I guess you could call and ask her," he suggested.

Parker shook her head. "I'm not going to talk to her about it right now. I'll give her some time to think about it; especially if Kiana is going to do it. Those two together can be a disaster," she said.

Wade laughed and agreed. "How was your day," he asked.

Parker grinned. "Well, you'll be happy to know that I finished my book and I sent it off to my editor!" she said excitedly.

He smiled. "Congratulations! So what happens now?" he asked as he figetted with the ends of her hair.

"Once the editor is done reading it and making notes, I'll get it back and fix whatever needs to be fixed then I'll send it back to the editor. I'll look at it again and if the editor is content with it, I'll send it to my publisher and then I'll have book number 5," she explained.

Wade nodded, intrigued.

"You know," Parker started. "This is my first book since I've been Mrs. Wade Barrett," she pointed out.

He nodded. "That it is. I don't mind, but I'm just curious… how will your name appear on the cover?" he asked. With Parker's name being hyphenated for the purpose of her books and eminence, Wade understood Parker's desire to use her maiden name for her books.

Parker took a deep breath. "My editor wants me to keep Nolan, but I really want to use Nolan-Barrett; that was the whole point of me hyphenating my name," she said.

Wade thought quietly. "If you want to use your maiden name, I'm okay with it. I understand how important your books are to you," he said, almost defeated.

"But you're more important than the books. The books are just paper; you are my soul mate. You obviously have priority. I fought for Nolan-Barrett and that's how it'll print on the books: Parker Nolan-Barrett," she said proudly.

The Englishman grinned. "I'd support you either way. Let's go to bed,"

**John and Kiana's House**

John hadn't expected for Kiana to be asleep, so he wasn't surprised to see her reading in bed. Even though she was in the middle of reading a sentence, she snapped the book shut and focused all of her attention on her boyfriend of 6 years.

"Hey, babe," she said with a smile.

He went to the side of the bed and kissed her sweetly. "Hey. How was your day?" he asked.

"Tiring. I spent almost the whole day at the gym," she said.

Kiana Pace was the sole owner of a gym specifically for women. Fitness was her passion and she was adamant about creating a pressure-free environment for women to exercise. Pace Yourself was the perfect place for women to get fit; the staff was comprised of all women: the trainers, the pool's lifeguard, the receptionist, and the housekeeping team. Kiana was more proud of her gym than anything she had ever accomplished.

John frowned. "What were you doing at the gym all day?" he asked as he peeled off his shirt and shorts.

"I wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly in case inspectors come this week. They were supposed to show up last week, but they supposedly postponed the inspection," she said.

"Why do you say 'supposedly'," John asked when she was settled under the covers next to his girlfriend.

She shrugged. "I think they're trying to catch me off guard and shut me down. They postponed twice already. First they said that the inspector was out sick like there was only one inspector. Then they said that they ran out of time to get to me. Now they're trying to say that they will come whenever they have free time since their schedule is full," she explained.

John nodded. "It sounds like they just want to make sure everything you aren't trying to fix the gym just for an inspection. They want to walk in on a regular day to see how everything is," he said.

"Why can't they just tell me that, then?" she asked, annoyed.

John chuckled. "I don't know, but I'm sure they have their reasons," he said.

Kiana sighed. "I guess," she said.

"I want to talk to you about something," he said nervously.

On the inside, Kiana got excited. Finally, after 6 years, her boyfriend was going to propose… so she thought.

He took a deep breath. "You know how Total Divas has taken off?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, the company wants to do another reality show. This time, they want to do it on the wives and girlfriends of the talent," he said.

Kiana frowned. "And you want me to be a part of it?" she asked.

"Not me. Paul and Steph. They wanted us to see if our ladies were interested," John said.

She thought briefly. "Is Liz going to do it?" she asked.

John sighed. "Why does it matter if she is?" he asked.

"It doesn't. I'm just curious," she said softly.

John smirked. "Sure… sure you're being curious," he teased.

"I just don't want to be bothered with her and her attitude if we both do it," she said.

John looked at her in shock. "So you'll do it?" he asked.

Kiana nodded and smiled.

**Rollins Apartment **

Brand new to the main WWE roster, Seth Rollins shuffled into his apartment. His aching body wanted so badly to rest, but instead, he went straight to the phone to call his fairly new girlfriend. The relationship wasn't fresh, but they hadn't been together very long. About 7 months had passed since their first date.

_Hello? _She answered the phone.

**Hey, Mel. It's me. **Seth said.

_I know, silly. I have caller ID. How was the taping?_

**Intense. But I can't talk long. I really need to get some sleep. **

_Aww. Okay. What's on your mind? _

**So um, WWE really wants to add another reality show to Total Divas. Paul and Stephanie wanted us all to talk to our wives and girlfriends to see if they're interested. **

She frowned _What's it about?_

Seth took a deep breath. **I guess it would be like all the other housewives shows except this time, it's about wrestlers' wives. **

Mel was silent on the other end. _You would want me to be on that show? _

**If you want to… it's up you. At least, if you do it, you'll be able to meet some of the other girls. **

_True. _

Mela Ward was a small time makeup artist. She and Seth met when he was in NXT; Mela had been filling in for the main makeup artist the day she met her current boyfriend. They didn't start dating immediately, but almost three years after meeting, they had become an official item.

_I'll think about it, but I really don't want to do it. It seems like they would want to cause a lot of unnecessary drama to exploit the women. _

**I can understand that. Like I said, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. But it would really open a lot of doors for you career-wise. **

Mela was quiet; she knew that Seth was right. If she wasn't looking to advance her career, Mela wouldn't even bother. She was a singer/songwriter with aspirations of being world renown. _Like I said, I'll think about it. I don't want to be surrounded by gold-digging women who just spend other people's money. If it'll help my career, I'll do it. Otherwise, count me out. _

**Orton Residence **

Randy sleepily walked into the house he shared with his wife of 3 years, Liz. He smiled when he smelled the food coming from the kitchen. He followed as his nose led the way. He sighed happily when he saw Liz standing at the stove stirring homemade alfredo sauce. He gently hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"It's almost midnight," he pointed out.

She chuckled. "I know, but what kind of wife would I be if my hardworking husband didn't come home to a home cooked meal?" The southern drawl practically forced a smile onto Randy's face. For years, he had heard the thick accent, but he could never get enough of it.

Elizabeth Harper grew up as an orphan in Austin, Texas. Her birth parents were killed in a car accident before she could even walk. Luckily, she wasn't in the car with them when the crash happened. Liz was put in foster care; she was passed around to over 50 foster homes until she was 18 years old and no longer a ward of the state.

When she and Randy started dating, they faced a lot of criticism for being an interracial couple. Liz had expected a big backlash, but she didn't see what was so wrong about a black woman dating a white man. The disapproval they were getting took a toll on Liz, but With Randy's help, she was able to block out all the negativity and live her life with the man she loved.

The now 27-year-old was more than proud to have married Randy and taken the final last name she would ever have to use. This had been the longest amount of time she had ever lived in the same house. Liz had never been happier; her line of kitchen supplies had just gone worldwide. The collection was created to add flare to kitchen wear. Instead of plain black or silver colored skillets, Liz designed skillets, pots, pans, and other dishes with loud colors and patterns. So far, the line was extremely successful.

Randy pecked her cheek once more before release her from his hold; he leaned up against the counter. "So how was your day?" he asked her.

Liz smiled. "Well… I submitted some designs, did a little shopping; I went to the doctor; and I had a mani pedi," she said.

Randy frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "Are you sick," he asked quietly, yet angrily.

She sighed. "Randy… I know we said that I wouldn't go to a fertility doctor, but we've been trying for years to have a baby. I just think it's time to see a professional," she explained.

"I don't want you seeing some random ass doctor for this, Liz. If we get pregnant, we get pregnant. If we don't, we don't. You don't need a fucking doctor for that," he said, still a little heated.

She turned the stove off and sighed. "It's not like I had anything done; there were no needles. It was only a consult. It's no big deal," she explained.

Randy sighed. "I just don't want you going there; it'll happen for us, baby. I know it will," he said.

Liz nodded and hugged her husband. "Okay," she said simply.

Randy smiled and kissed the top of her head. "You did something new to your hair. I kinda like it," said as he fingered the kinky curls.

Liz pulled away from the hug and nodded. "Yeah, I just twisted my hair up in little knots then took it down," she said as she played with her Bantu knot out. "How was the taping?" she asked, eager to hear details of the night to get Randy's mind off of her deviation of their plan to not see a fertility doctor.

"Well," he started. "You'll be happy to know that the company picked up a new reality show," he said.

"Oooh!" Liz was already intrigued.

Randy chuckled and shook his head at his wife's excitement. "Paul and Steph wanted us guys to ask the wives and girlfriends if you ladies would be interested in starring in it," he said.

Liz gasped. "What is it going to be about?" she asked, getting more and more excited.

"I guess it's just the wives of wrestlers. I forgot what franchise Steph called it," he said.

"Real Housewives?" Liz asked as she pulled plates from the cabinet.

He nodded. "Yeah that's it," he said.

Liz squealed. "I can't believe it!" she said excitedly.

"I assume you want to do it," he asked.

"Duh!" Liz said happily.

oOo

Of the entire roster, only 4 guys were able to get their wives/girlfriends to agree to be a part of the newest WWE reality show: Randy Orton, Wade Barrett, John Cena, and Seth Rollins. Liz, Parker, Kiana, and Mela had all decided to take part in the reality show and have cameras follow them around as the four of them spent time together to show what it's like to be a wrester's wife or girlfriend.

After each of the guys let Paul and Stephanie know, it didn't take long for WWE to get a camera crew on the move. The company was having a party the next day to celebrate the company's success in the WWE network; that was when the recording would start.

**A/N: That's it for the first chapter! Please review. (I only ask that you review so that you can give me feedback on what you like and dislike so I can fix it. Don't just not review the whole story then complain about the ending and try to force me to fix it.) I will only update based on the number of reviews. If you do review, you'll get a sneak peak at chapter 2. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A/N: Thank y'all so much for reading. Special thanks to nafiondf aof, and the 2 guests for reviewing. Super special thanks to Nom-D. Ploome, Can'tStandIdiots, and TheGirlInthePinkScarf for being so awesome!**

**The Next Day **

Randy groaned when he felt Liz getting out of bed. Quickly, he pulled her closer to him. "Stay," he said sleepily.

Liz smiled and pecked his lips. "I can't, baby. I promised Parker I would go shopping with her for the party tonight," she said.

The man whined. "Fine," he said with a pout.

Liz chuckled at his tactics and disappeared into the large bathroom where she was able to shower, dry off, lotion her body, and get dressed for the day.

She pulled on a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt; she slipped on some comfortable sneakers last. Liz sat at the vanity and did her makeup before running her fingers through her hair. With a few hair pins, Liz was ready to go. Before she left, Liz kissed Randy's temple and said goodbye. When she grabbed her phone, Range Rover keys, and purse, Liz headed over to pick up Parker.

**Barrett Residence**

Wade opened the front door when the doorbell rang. "Good morning, Liz," he said as he stepped aside to let her in.

Liz smiled. "Hey, Wade. Is Parker even awake yet?" she asked.

Wade chuckled and hugged his good friend when she was inside. "She's in the shower right now. Can I get you some coffee or something?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, thanks," she said.

"Did Randy tell you about the reality show?" he asked.

Liz nodded. "Yeah. I'm excited!" she said.

Wade chuckled; he knew that since Liz was excited to be a part of the show, it wouldn't take long for Parker to be more excited.

After almost half an hour of casual conversation between Wade and Liz, Parker emerged.

"Hey, girl," Parker said seeing Liz in the living room.

Liz stood and smiled. "Hey! You ready to head out?" she asked.

Parker nodded and kissed Wade goodbye.

oOo

At the shop, Liz and Parker fingered the racks for something they could wear to the company party.

"I wish I would have come here yesterday. I need something bold that'll stand out. I can't stand to blend in with people," Liz said as she looked at the wall of dresses to choose from.

Parker chuckled. "What if you and Kiana show up in the same outfit?" she asked to get a rise out of her friend.

"That won't happen. I'm not going to be wearing white," she said. "I got a reddish almost maroon skater dress. Not too fancy; not too casual," Liz said.

"You're lucky; you can wear dark colors like that. I'm too dark to wear maroon," Parker said sadly. She never thought her dark skin looked good with dark colors. She was really into pastels and bright colors; Parker just thought they looked better on her.

Liz scoffed. "Girl, you can wear whatever you want! If you want to wear maroon, wear maroon. Kiana is the perfect example; she wears white all the time. Do you think she looks good in it?" Liz asked.

Parker thought. "I don't know. I never really paid attention," she said.

Liz nodded. "Exactly. No one cares about how you look in certain colors. You should dress for yourself… and for your man. Obviously, Kiana dresses for her man; too bad John can't take a hint," she laughed.

Parker frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You haven't figured out why she wears white all the time?" Liz asked, shocked.

She shook her head. "No… I never really thought much of it. She doesn't wear white that often," Parker said.

Liz laughed. "How about a bet? I guarantee you that Kiana is going to show up at the party tonight in all white. I'll bet you $100!" she said.

Parker raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "I don't think she will, so I'll take you up on that bet," she said.

Liz smirked. "I just earned some free money," she boasted.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Whatever; we'll see. Just help me find something,"

**Rollins' Apartment **

Mela walked in and kissed her boyfriend deeply. "Hey," she breathed after the steamy kiss.

Seth smiled. "Hey. I'm glad you're coming with me to the party tonight," he said.

Mela sighed. "Do I really have to go?" she asked. After doing her research on the women who would be a part of the show, Mela was having second thoughts about agreeing. She was particularly nervous about Liz. Granted, Mela and Liz had never met; they had never even heard of each other. Mela was still on edge about meeting the slightly older woman.

Seth led Mela to the sofa where he had been lounging. "You don't have to go, but I would love for you to go. It's going to be a lot of fun. You can meet the other women and have a good time with them. I think you'll really get along with Kiana, Cena's girlfriend. She's seems pretty chill. I don't know a lot about Orton and Barrett's wives.

Mela took a deep breath and cuddled deep into Seth's body. "What would I talk to them about?" she asked.

He shugged. "I don't know; your music, maybe," he suggested.

She looked up at him. "Yeah… because they're going to be interested in something besides themselves," she said sarcastically.

Seth sighed. "Just try to get to know them. Don't judge them until you know them," he said.

Mela rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Is there a dress code for this fancy party?" she asked.

He chuckled. "No. Just wear whatever," he said.

"Is what I have on good enough?" she asked.

Seth looked over her outfit as best as he could with her laying so close to him. He noticed that she was wearing a grey tank top that read "IT ISN'T JUST A BAND TO ME", ripped skinny jeans, and black high top converse sneakers.

"You look fine," Seth said.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. 'Cause I don't feel like changing," she said happily.

**John and Kiana's House**

Kiana woke up in an empty bed; she saw it was half past 10 and she knew that John was still at the gym. She had always felt like he spent more time in the gym than he did with her when he was home. Sometimes, Kiana just sat and wondered if never getting married and having children was worth the relationship she was in. She loved John; there was no doubt about that, but she wanted validation. She wanted their relationship to be validated; to her, marriage was the only way that would happen.

Instead of immediately getting out of bed, Kiana stared at the ceiling and thought about the night's party; the reality show taping would start with at the party. She found out that Liz was eager to be a part of the show so Kiana was not looking forward to being forced to spend time with someone she saw as an enemy. It wasn't worth her time to be stuck in a world with Elizabeth Michelle Orton. The only reason why Kiana even agreed to the do the show was so that she could spend more time with John. She only hoped that Liz wouldn't get in the way of her expectations.

When she had an idea of what she would wear to the party, Kiana rolled out of bed and dragged herself to the shower where she relaxed under the hot spray until she the water ran cold. As she wrapped up her shower, Kiana saw that it was time for her favorite TV show to come on. "Say Yes to the Dress" was having a marathon; a marathon that Kiana wouldn't miss. She always thought that she should be prepared for when John decided to propose; it was never too early to prepare for the future, right?

**oOo**

**[hours later]**

Mela and Seth walked into the loud party hand-in-hand. Mela looked around the facility; it was so heavily decorated. She could tell that someone put hours and hours of work into the design.

When Seth saw his teammates, he leaned over to Mela and whispered. "Please try to have fun. I'll be over there with Dean and Roman," he said.

Mela forced a smile and watched Seth walk away. Not a minute later, Mela was approached by someone who seemed to be the show's producer.

"Mela?" the man asked. She nodded. "It's great to meet you. The other women are sitting at that table over there. Go mingle with them and we'll just film it. Pretend we aren't even here," he said.

Mela sighed and walked towards the table of three women. She saw that two of them, Parker and Liz, were laughing and talking to each other as if they had known each other for years; the other was staring across the room. When Mela followed the woman's eyes, she saw that John Cena was the object of the woman's stares. Mela took the opportunity to introduce herself to the woman who was dressed in a long white dress.

She cleared her throat as she approached the brown skinned woman with a short haircut. "Hey. I'm Mela," she said nervously.

The woman smiled. "Hey! I'm Kiana. It's nice to meet you. I heard there was going to be a new girl but no one knew your name," she said.

Mela frowned as she sat in the empty chair between Kiana and Liz. "What do you mean 'new girl'? Aren't we all new since it's a new show?" she asked.

Kiana chuckled. "Well, yeah. I just mean that none of us knew you. I've known the two girls next to you for years," she said.

Mela glanced at them as they talked amongst themselves.

Kiana gave her the rundown of the two women. "The one next to you—that's Liz. She's Randy Orton's wife. I strongly suggest that you steer clear of her," she said.

The younger woman frowned. "Why? What's wrong with her?" she asked nervously.

Kiana sighed. "I don't want to be rude about it, but she's a master manipulator. If we were all in high school, she would be the queen bee. She's just—how can I put this nicely? If you want to keep your original thoughts, don't let her get in your head," she said.

Mela nodded. "Who is the other one?" she asked.

"Oh, that's Parker. She's okay most of the time. She's really cool when she's by herself, but she's just like Liz otherwise. She's Liz's mini me; she does everything Liz does, goes everywhere Liz goes. She doesn't even piss unless Liz says so… okay maybe not that much, but she's Liz's best friend," Kiana said.

"So who is she dating? Or married to?" Mela asked.

"Barrett. Wade Barrett. They've only been married for a year, though, so it's still pretty new. Liz and Randy have been married for…" Kiana paused to count on her fingers. "…three years. Honestly, I'm surprised it's lasted this long. Just like Parker follows Liz's every move, Liz obeys Randy's every order. It's weird, but to each their own," Kiana said.

Mela was stuck trying to figure out what she had gotten herself into. All she did was say hello to this woman and all of a sudden, she was given the background of the other 2 wives. Mela didn't know what to say, but she quickly pulled something from thin air.

"So you must be John Cena's wife," she said.

Kiana chuckled nervously. "Not yet; I'm his girlfriend," she said.

"Oh really? How long have you two been dating?" Mela asked.

"7 years next month," she said.

Mela gasped. "Wow. That's a long time," she said in shock. "Do you two plan on getting married soon?" she asked.

Kiana paused to think; she didn't want to tell a stranger all her business. Instead she remained vague. "When we're ready…" she said simply.

Mela was about to speak again when she saw a big mane of hair in her peripheral vision. She turned around in her seat and saw the woman who Kiana said was Liz.

Liz smiled at her. "Hi! How are you?" she asked.

Mela was taken aback. She knew this woman was Randy Orton's wife, so she didn't expect Randy's wife to be so… friendly. Mela immediately noticed that she was from the south and from her experience, southern women seemed extremely nice until you piss them off. That fact alone made Mela even more nervous than before.

"I'm pretty good. How are you?" she asked Liz in return.

"I'm just fine, honey. You must be Seth's girlfriend?" she asked.

Mela frowned. "How did you know?" she asked.

Liz chuckled. "I had lunch with Steph earlier today. She told me that Seth's girlfriend would be joining us," she said.

Mela's eyes widened. She remembered having to listen to Seth complain about never getting in contact with the bosses to discuss his career. She was trying to figure out how Liz could just talk over lunch with the boss like that. Suddenly, it hit her: Liz was Randy Orton's wife; her husband was the face of WWE. She had all kinds of privileges that other people only dreamed of.

"Oh," was wall Mela could say.

Liz nodded. "OH! And this is Parker; Wade's wife," she introduced the two women.

Mela forced a smile and waved. "Hey," she said softly.

Parker smiled and waved. "It's so great to meet you," she said.

Before anymore conversation, Liz stood. "Excuse me, y'all. I'm just going to run to the ladies' room," she said.

"I'll come with," Parker said as she followed her best friend away from the table.

Mela turned back to Kiana. "They seem nice," she said.

Kiana laughed. "Yeah… Parker _is_ genuinely nice; but Liz… Liz is a bitch. I can't stand her. She's always bragging about her marriage. Like, yes, Liz! We know! We know you're married! We were there! It's annoying as fuck. I can't believe Randy hasn't kicked her skanky ass to the curb already," she said angrily.

"You don't like her very much?" Mela asked.

"That's an understatement. I'm surprised she decided to get dressed, tonight," Kiana said.

Mela frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Usually, Liz dresses in the shortest, tightest anything she can find," Kiana said. "The dress she has own now is a full body armor compared to what she usually wears. I don't know if you noticed, but she and Parker have on the same dress," she said to reiterate her argument that Parker follows Liz's every move.

Mela shook her head. "No… Liz's dress has cut outs on the top; Parker's doesn't. Plus they're two different colors," she said noting that Parker's baby blue dress was very different from Liz's dark red dress.

Kiana nodded. "Sure, but Parker wouldn't have picked her dress if Liz hadn't already bought a dress like it. She has no mind of her own; she's like a puppet. It's pathetic," she said.

Having had enough of Kiana's negativity, Mela got up and went to the bathroom where Liz and Parker had escaped to. She found them in a long line that lead to the bathroom. When Mela walked up, Parker was handing Liz a one hundred dollar bill.

"You win, this time. No more, though," Parker said as Liz did a short happy dance.

When Liz noticed Mela, she smiled softly. "Had enough of the lovely Kiana already?" she asked sarcastically.

Mela chuckled. "Yeah. She says you're the evil one, but I'm starting to think she's just looking in a mirror," she said.

Parker groaned. She knew exactly where this was heading.

Liz was chuckled humorlessly. "Wait what? What did she say?" she asked the younger woman.

Mela suddenly found herself in the middle of what she just figured out was a long time beef. "Nothing much…" she said in an attempt to end something before it began.

"Come on, Mela. I know you didn't have a fifteen minute conversation with that woman without my name coming up at least once," she said.

Mela weighed her options. She had only just met Kiana; she hadn't even heard of her until Seth mentioned her. Sure, Kiana's boyfriend would be beneficial to Seth's career later in the future, but Liz was married to the face of the company. Mela realized that she needed to be on Liz's good side.

"Well…" Mela told Liz everything.

oOo

After hearing what all Kiana had said to Mela, Liz stormed to the oldest of the 4 women. "Are you so desperate for a friend that you need to talk shit about me to get one?" Liz asked Kiana angrily.

Kiana eyed Mela who stood away from the situation; Kiana knew that she had repeated to Liz everything that was said. Kiana refocused her attention to Liz. "I don't know what you're talking about…" she said.

Liz scoffed. "Oh whatever Kiana. I don't even care about what you had to say about me. I just suggest that you keep my name out of your mouth. You need to be focusing on your fucked up relationship instead of my whole life," she said.

Kiana stood from where she was sitting. "You want to talk about fucked up relationships? How about we talk about how you let Randy run you? Huh? He says jump and you say how high. You ain't nothing but a groupie with a ring. That shit won't last another year; watch,"

"Bless your heart…" Liz said. "You're so blinded by all that white that you can't even see that there isn't a ring on your finger. If anybody's relationship is fucked up, it's yours, sweetheart. It's been—what—7 years and John still hasn't proposed? Maybe you should take a page from my book and ask John how high he wants you to jump because I seem to be doing something right to have been married already. You're pushing 35 and you're still single with nothing better to do than be in my business. Get a life, darling," Liz walked away from the situation, but Kiana wasn't done.

"At least I'm not a gold-digging whore!" Kiana yelled after her.

Everyone in attendance of the party heard Kiana's outburst. Faster than anyone expected, Liz turned around and literally pounced at Kiana. Luckily for Kiana, Randy was close enough to Liz to grabbed her from the air and carry her away from the older woman.

"PUT ME DOWN! I WILL FUCK THAT BITCH UP! YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG ONE, YOU OLD ASS BITCH! TALK SHIT AGAIN AND GET KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT!" Liz screamed as Randy carried her out of the building and to their car.

oOo

When Randy and Liz were outside, he put the angry woman back on her feet. Liz kept trying to go back inside the building.

"No, Liz! I am not letting you back in there! Calm down!" Randy said while holding her back.

Liz was shaking; she was so angry. "NO, Randy! I work hard for my money! You and I both know that. For her to sit up there and call me a gold digger just because I was able to get married is bullshit! Everything I have is because of me! I have never asked you for a dime! I am my own gold digger. I dig gold from my own mine. That old ass bitch needs to take a look in the mirror before she opens her mouth about me again," she ranted.

Randy chuckled. "Me and her are the same age, babe. Am I old, too?" he asked hoping Liz would laugh and calm down. His plan worked.

Liz smiled. "You know what I mean. What is a 30something year old woman doing talking shit to some chick she just met?" she asked rhetorically.

Randy shrugged. "I don't know, but we need to get home," he said.

Liz nodded and led the way to their car in the parking lot.

oOo

**the next day **

Randy had called John and asked his best friend to meet him at the popular gym in town so they could talk about the prior night's events.

John got to the gym early to get in a good workout before having to talk to Randy. When Randy finally showed up, John didn't know what was going to happen.

"Hey, man," Randy said with a brotherly handshake and hug. "I just wanted to clear some stuff up from last night," he said.

John nodded and sat on a bench; Randy joined him.

"Okay," Randy started. "Things got a little crazy between Liz and Kiana. I just wanted to apologize to you for that. If I was you, I would be pissed off that some other dude's wife tried to attack my girlfriend. So, yeah," he trailed off not knowing what else to say.

John chuckled. "You don't have to apologize for that. Kiana was way out of line. Sure, Liz said some things that were inappropriate, too, but at least she walked away. I know Kiana can be a bit… intense. So all that wasn't even a surprise to me," he said.

Randy nodded. "So we're cool?" he asked.

John nodded. "We're cool. Let's just hope they can work it out, too," he said.

"Not a fucking chance," Randy said as he shook his head.

**A/N: Well, then… seems like someone's a bit jealous. Please review. If you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 3! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Special thanks to nafiondf aof, Emmettluver2010, Ctinaisfashion, rachael ann elizabeth, and ghost303 for reviewing. Super special thanks to Nom-D. Ploome, TheGirlInThePinkScarf, and Can'tStandIdiots for being so awesome! Please review. When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 4! **

**Monday**

Mela groaned. "I don't know why I even agreed to this. I ended up in the middle of a catfight the first day I met them," she said; she wasn't happy about having to get with the girls yet again.

Seth sighed. "I'm sorry about all that, but I'm sure everything will work out," he said in an attempt to comfort her. He knew that nothing would ever work out, he just hoped Mela would believe it.

As they got closer and closer to the door of the arena, Mela got more nervous. They say first impressions are the most important and she knew her first impression on Kiana wouldn't bode well for her future since she told Liz everything Kiana said about her. Sure, Liz seemed more violent than Kiana, but Kiana seemed more spiteful personality wise. Mela feared a spiteful personality more than a violent one; at lease she knew what not to do or say around Liz to keep her from being violent; but Mela had no clue what would set Kiana off. To Mela, her best bet would be to cozy up to Parker and hope for the best.

When the couple got to the door, Seth stopped. "I have a meeting with the guys and the bosses, so you can hang out in catering until I'm done. Or you could actually try to get to know the other girls," he said.

"I would much rather be by myself than subject myself to social torture with them," she said.

Seth chuckled at her attitude and led the way inside the building. Mela quickly picked up on where catering was by the printed signs that were taped to walls. For a billion dollar company, WWE sure did try to pinch pennies in certain areas. To Mela, it seemed like more money was being wasted when they printed signs from a computer every day when they could just spend a pretty penny on plastic reusable signs. The printer paper and ink prices definitely add up.

When she found catering and sat down at an empty table, Mela thought she was home free.

"Wow. I didn't think I'd see you again," she heard from behind her. She gulped hoping it was anyone except Kiana. She slowly turned around to face Parker; Mela breathed a sigh of relief.

"Parker, right?" she asked.

The woman nodded. "And you're Mela," she said. "Is anyone sitting with you?"

Mela shook her head and watched as Parker sat next to her. The brown skinned woman smoothed out her pale pink dress and gently laid her beige clutch bag on the table. When Parker crossed her legs, Mela noticed her nude colored platform heels. Comparing herself to Parker, Mela looked herself over; she was glad that she upped her game from the company party. Tonight, she decided to look a bit more polished yet comfortable. She wore a solid red t-shirt that was tucked into high-waisted printed shorts. Her shoes were still flats but not sneakers; and she had an actual purse instead of a backpack.

"You like music, huh?" Parker asked.

Mela frowned. "How did you know?" she asked. Parker pointed to the necklace Mela was wearing. It was a heart charm with music notes etched into it. "Oh," Mela said softly. "Yeah. Seth gave this to me when my song hit iTunes," she said.

Parker nodded. Truthfully, she wasn't interested in Mela's music. She wanted to know more about her as a person. "So, how long have you and Seth been together?" she asked.

"Um, about 7 months now," Mela answered quietly. "What about you and Wade?" she asked to take the pressure off herself.

Parker smiled thinking of her husband. "Bear and I were together for three years before we got married; we just had our first wedding anniversary last month," she said proudly.

"Oh, wow. Congratulations," Mela said.

She smiled. "Thanks. Look, Mela. You seem like a nice girl and all, but you should know something about Kiana and Liz. Liz is my girl and I've known Kiana for just as long as I've known Liz. Those two women are the two worst women you ever want to piss off; each of them for different reasons," Parker said.

Mela had physically begun to tremble. "What do you mean?" she asked nervously.

Parker sighed. "Kiana? She's not really into having a ton of girl friends to hang out with. I know her well enough to know that she's in this for the sake of her relationship with John. The best way to stay on her good side, is to stay away from her. Bottom line. She's cool most of the time when we just have to interact for the sake of our men, but she's not into hanging out just to hang out," she explained.

Mela nodded. She felt like find a pen and some paper to take notes. The vital information would be helpful to her, she knew that.

Parker continued. "Oh, and if there is something you don't want anyone to know about you or your personal life, don't tell Kiana. Just like she told you all that shit about Liz at the party last week, she'll tell some other stranger your business, too. She's a bit older than the rest of us, so she knows exactly how to fuck with your life and you don't want to give her that kind of power," she said.

Mela sighed. She was terrified of the kind of advice she would get on Liz. Parker seemed to like Kiana so the amount of information she just shelled out about the oldest woman was interesting to say the least. "What about Liz?" she asked Parker.

Parker chuckled. "Liz is the exact opposite. This here? Us being here at Raw for a live show? This is no big deal for Liz. Since she doesn't really have a regular job or kids, she travels with Randy most of the time," she said.

"So she can spend time with him?" Mela asked.

Parker shook her head. "Nope. Don't get me wrong; Liz loves Randy, she really does. She travels with him mostly to spend time with their mutual friends. She can see Randy anytime he's home, but she can't see Wade and John as often," she said.

Mela nodded. "Was she really going to hit Kiana at the party?" she asked. The question was burning in her throat ever since it happened.

Parker laughed. "Hell yeah! There is no one Liz hates more than Kiana. Come to think of it, I don't think they have ever gotten along. They've known each other for almost 6 years, maybe longer. I only met them when I started dating Wade, so I don't really know what exactly happened to make them hate each other so much. Honestly, I'd rather not even know," she said.

"Is she always violent like that?" Mela asked hoping for a negative answer.

"Nah," Mela breathed a sigh of relief. "But she can fuck you over, too. Except, unlike Kiana, she can fuck up your man's career, too. Kiana won't too much mess with Seth if you piss her off, but Liz? Oh Liz would ruin your life and also make sure that Seth will never set foot in another wrestling ring for the rest of his life if you fuck with her," she said.

Mela gulped. If she wasn't already terrified of Liz before, she was terrified now.

"Well," Parker said standing from the table. "It was great talking to you. I guess I'll see you around?" she asked.

The still seated woman nodded. "Yeah," she whimpered as she watched Parker walk away.

Armed with new information, Mela went in search of a cold bottle of water. While she was at the cooler, she noticed Liz tucked away in a corner giggling with someone. Eventually, that someone made himself known when he hugged Liz and kissed each of her cheeks. Mela was shocked to see that Wade and Liz were so cozy and comfortable with each other. The way Liz's hands caressed Wade's arm was suspicious, but it was the way Wade's large hands fit so perfectly on her hips and the small of her back that made Mela feel a bit uneasy. Mela knew better than to say anything about what she saw; she decided that she would keep the information to herself.

Mela's thought was shattered when Seth showed up next to her. "You okay over here?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. I talked to Parker; she filled me in on some stuff I needed to know," she said.

Seth smiled. "What kind of stuff?" he asked.

"Uh… just stuff about Liz and Kiana; about how to get along with them," she said. It wasn't really a lie; Mela really did learn how to best get along with the other two women.

"Well, that's good because I've got some news," Seth said.

Mela was curious to hear the news. "Tell me!" she squealed when Seth didn't immediately tell her.

"Creative is breaking up The Shield and putting me with Evolution. That means a big push for me! I'll be around Orton a lot more than usual, so please just try to get along with at least Liz for a while," he said.

The excitement Mela had for a moment disappeared. Sure, she was glad that Seth was rising up and everything, but she wasn't ready to face Liz.

Mela was paranoid when it came to Orton's wife. Mela didn't know if Liz knew, but the two women have a very strong history that Mela hoped was going to stay history. They say the only way two people can keep a secret is if of them is dead. Since Mela hadn't planned on becoming a murderer, she knew the truth would eventually surface, thus ruining both her life and Seth's career.

oOo

Parker and Liz managed to escape the hustle and bustle of the arena; they had gone outside to Randy's RV where the two women were enjoying a meal from catering.

"So," Parker started as she chewed her food. "I talked to Mela today," she said.

Liz was intrigued. "Really? About what?" she asked as she took a sip of water.

She shrugged. "Nothing much; just told her that you and Kiana are fucking insane," she said half-jokingly.

Liz laughed with her. "Good. I get this weird vibe from her," she said when her laughter subsided.

"What do you mean?" Parker asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know… it's like she's scared all the time. You think she's a criminal or something?" she asked.

Parker frowned. "You really are insane. Why would you jump to criminal just because she's rightfully afraid of you?" she asked.

Liz gasped. "Afraid of me? Why, Parker, why would anyone be afraid of lil ol' me?" she asked sarcastically. Liz had that effect on people, but it never really kicked in until months after knowing her. Liz hadn't expected Mela to fear her so soon; it bothered her to not know why the young woman was so fearful.

Parker stood from where she sat to throw out her Liz's empty paper plates. When she returned. Liz had come up with an idea. "Brunch!" she said out of the blue.

Her friend frowned. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Liz smiled. "Brunch. Since tomorrow's the last day we'll all be in Florida, I was thinking that I could host a brunch and invite Mela," she said.

Parker thought for a moment and nodded. "That actually sounds like a good idea. Are you going to invite Kiana?" she asked.

Liz knew the reality show producers would love it if she invited Kiana, but she knew it would only be a source of drama and that was something she didn't need in her own house. As far as Liz was concerned, drama with Kiana was welcome anywhere except her home.

"Nah. Just you and Mela," she said.

Parker nodded. She thought brunch was a great idea; she wanted to know why Mela was so sketchy around Liz and she knew that Liz would get that information out of her soon enough.

Liz phone chimed with a text message from her husband. When she grinned from ear to ear, Parker knew what the message was about.

"Sometimes I think he just wants you to rub him down so he can have his way with you," Parker said.

Liz grinned as she stood to grab her purse. "Whatever, girl. I live for a chance to rub my baby down with oil," she said as she stepped off the RV with Parker on her tail.

Once they were inside the arena again, Liz and Parker went their separate ways: Liz to Randy's locker room; Parker to Wade's.

oOo

"Knock, knock!" Liz said in a singsong voice as she pushed her husband's locker room door open.

Randy glanced up from tying his boots when he heard her come in. "Hey, babe," he said.

Liz smiled and kissed her husband deeply. When the kiss was broken, Liz went in search of the baby oil; when she found it, she couldn't help but get excited. To have been married for 3 years to the king of baby oil was great; one would think that Liz would get tired of rubbing baby oil on a full grown man. Liz couldn't get enough of it; it was one of her favorite things about traveling with Randy.

"How was the meeting with Hunter and Steph?" Liz asked.

He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. They're breaking up The Shield. Seth is going to turn on Dean and Roman then join Evolution since Dave is out for his movie," he said.

Liz nodded. "Well, that makes my idea all that much better," she said.

"What idea?" he asked.

"I had an idea when I was on the bus with Parker," Liz said as she spread oil across Randy's back. "I was thinking about having brunch at the house tomorrow; I was going to invite Mela and Parker," she said.

Randy shifted nervously. "And Kiana?" he asked.

Liz groaned. "What about her?" she asked annoyed.

"Aren't you going to invite her, too? She's a part of this show, isn't she?" he asked.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Just because she's on the show doesn't make her part of my life," she said.

Randy was quiet for a moment. "Either you invite Kiana or there won't be a brunch at all," he said.

"Seriously? I don't want that bitch in my house," Liz said.

Randy shrugged. "I don't care. John and I have been friends for years; I want you and Kiana to at least tolerate each other. You're always going to be part of each other's lives. You might as well make the best of it," he said.

Lucky for Liz, she had just finished oiling Randy up, so she had no further reason to stay in the room. "I'll go look for John," she said as she left the room.

Randy nodded his approval. He didn't expect Liz to be best buddies with Kiana. He only wanted them to coexist.

oOo

Parker lingered around Wade's dressing room while he did an interview for the show. When the door opened without someone knocking, Parker knew who was entering.

"I'm glad I wasn't naked, Liz," she said jokingly.

Liz shrugged. "You ain't got nothing I haven't already seen," she said as she sat on the couch next to her good friend.

"So, what's up?" Parker asked.

Liz sighed in annoyance. "I really want to do the brunch tomorrow and invite only you and Mela," she said. "But Randy is making me invite Kiana, too. He said I can't do the brunch unless I invite her,"

Parker nodded. "It'll give you and Kiana some time to clear the air and start a clean slate. Right now, it seems like you and her are still wanting to kill each other," she said.

"How is me inviting her to my house going to clear the air, Parker? All it does is give me the upper hand in kicking her ass," Liz pointed out.

The younger woman nodded in thought. "True… but you'll be able to have a conversion with her without an audience of people to instigate," Parker said.

Liz groaned. "I came to you to get you to make Randy change his mind! I didn't expect you to take his side; you're no help," she said half-jokingly.

"Look, how about I come over early tomorrow to help you set everything up? We can talk about what you're going to say to her and what to do if she upsets you. If you have a plan, nothing can go wrong," Parker suggested.

Liz thought about it and sighed. "Fine. But the second she pisses me off, I'm throwing her fake ass out," she said.

Parker held her hands up in defense. "And that's okay," she said.

oOo

Liz was in search of Kiana to invite her to the brunch she would be hosting the next day. She had hoped that Kiana would be nowhere to be found, but as luck would have it, Kiana found _her_.

Before Liz could even open her mouth to speak, Kiana was already talking.

"I'm sorry about the other night. I shouldn't have laid out all your business to that new girl," she said.

Liz knew it was forced apology; she knew John too well to fall for the rehearsed apology. "Well, tell John that I said thanks for the half ass apology. I'm having a brunch tomorrow and Randy is making me invite you. So if you want to come, be at my place at noon," she said.

"Making you?" Kiana repeated. "What kind of woman lets her man tell her what to do? I thought you were some strong, independent woman who didn't need a man to tell her what to do," she said.

Liz took a deep breath to compose herself before she got angry. "I don't let just any man tell me what to do, but when my _husband_ makes a suggestion, I tend to follow through," Liz said. "Now, if we're done criticizing my marriage… I extended an invitation; it's up to you if you want to come. I personally don't give a fuck. I don't like you; you don't like me. Everything would go over much smoother if you don't show up, anyway," she said.

Kiana chuckled humorlessly. "You know what, Liz? I think I'll be there; you've got me interested to know what else Randy makes you do…," she said before walking away.

Liz wanted so badly to attack the older woman, but she knew better; her dress was brand new and she didn't want to stretch it.

oOo

Towards the middle of the show, Mela found herself sitting alone watching the show on a monitor backstage. All night, the image of Liz and Wade canoodling was replaying over and over in her head. Mela couldn't help but feel bad for Parker; she was such a sweet lady but she probably had no clue that her husband and best friend were smooching behind her back.

"Hey, Mela," she heard the southern drawl and took a deep breath. She smiled politely and greeted the woman she had already labeled a homewrecker.

"Hey, Liz," she said nervously.

Liz tugged on the hem of her red body con dress before she took a seat next to Mela. "So, I'm having brunch tomorrow at my place. I have already invited Parker and Kiana and I would love for you to be there, too," she said.

Mela quietly thought about the invitation. On one hand, she would have to sit and eat with Parker and Liz knowing such a secret. On the other hand, she would be able to get close to someone who could make or break her boyfriend's career. If she had a third hand… Randy.

**A/N: Please review! When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 4! I know this chapter ended a little weird, but I promise you'll understand why by chapter 5. (Also, I've been really busy and I didn't get a chance to get out the sneak peeks for those of you who reviewed; so to compensate, I will be send each of those who reviewed chapter 2 and alternate ending to "His Best Friend" within the next few weeks.)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to Emmettluver2010, PassionWriter101, ghost303 and the guest for reviewing. Super special thanks to Nom-D. Ploome, Can'tStandIdiots, and TheGirlInThePinkScarf for being so awesome! **

**Tuesday**

**Barrett Residence**

The Barretts were up early; packing for the road wasn't something Wade took lightly. He made a list and he checked it more than twice. Parker was getting annoyed by his meticulousness.

"You went through that list like 10 times already. I'm sure you have everything," she said as she watched her husband scramble around the bedroom.

"Better safe than sorry," he said without missing a beat.

Parker chuckled and shook her head. "Well, make sure you don't have too much stuff. Randy and Liz were nice enough to share their bus with us. We don't want to take up all their space," she said.

Wade nodded and frowned in confusion as he went through his crumbled pieces of paper he called a list. "Ah! There it is," he mumbled as he scurried across the room to grab something else for this already full bag.

Parker was feeling frisky; she sauntered over to Wade and kissed the back of his ear. Usually, that ignited a flame for him, but he hardly even responded to his wife.

"What are you doing?" he asked, not even paying much attention to her.

She sighed. "It's been a while since we've made love, Bear… I thought maybe we could have a little fun before I head over to Liz's for brunch,"

Suddenly his interest peaked; for the first time in their conversation, he actually turned to look at Parker. "Liz? You're going to Liz's for brunch?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I told you about it last night. Mela and Kiana will be there, too," she said.

Wade thought for a moment. "Brunch sounds good; do you think she'd mind if I tagged along? It would give you and me some more time together," he said in an attempt to convince Parker of his false intentions.

Parker smiled. It wasn't exactly what she had planned, but she would settle for an afternoon with her husband and her best friend.

**Mela's apartment **

Mela sighed and paced in her living room as Seth quietly laid on her couch watching her every move. Even though she was stressed out, she couldn't help but smile when she heard his voice.

"Alright, Bunny. What's up?" he asked as he sat up.

Mela sighed. "I can't go to Liz's brunch today."

Seth shook his head. "I know you have your reservations about her; rightfully so, but you can't just avoid her,"

Mela sat next to him; Seth wrapped his arms around her and laid down again. "I'm not choosing not to go; I was actually looking forward to it," she said as she got comfortable in his hold.

"Then what's the problem?" he asked.

She sighed and watched her 7 year old son carefully eat his bowl of pineapples while he sat on the floor in front of the TV. "I can't find anyone to watch Luke. The regular babysitter called me and said that she's sick. I would ask you, but I know you're going to the gym with Randy," she said.

Seth nodded thought for a moment. "How about you take him with you? Liz is kid friendly most of the time."

Mela stammered; she couldn't believe what her boyfriend was suggesting. "I am not taking my son to that woman's house. He didn't do anything wrong to deserve it,"

Seth chuckled. "Just call Liz and tell her what happened then ask if it's okay for him to be with you."

Seth didn't know it, but there was more behind Mela's reason for not wanting to mention her son to the new group of people to which she was getting accustomed. Mela just nodded and cuddled deeper in to her man as they both watched Luke.

**John and Kiana's house **

John was wide awake in bed as he watched Kiana dig through their closet to find something to wear to Liz's brunch. After a while, she settled on a pair of jeans, a mint colored t-shirt, and sneakers.

"I can't believe you're actually going," John said with a light chuckle.

Kiana rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I'm only going because Liz said that Randy _made_ her invite me. He has some kind of magical power over her that I have got to see to believe," she said.

John sighed. "Don't do that," he said.

She frowned. "Don't do what?" she asked.

"Don't dog her for listening to his opinions. She loves him enough to consider his suggestions and that's a great thing,"

Kiana raised an eye brow at her long-time boyfriend. "What are you trying to say? That I don't love you enough?"

John was confused. "What? I never said that,"

"No, but you said that Liz loves Randy enough to consider his opinion. You don't think we should get married and I don't even agree with your opinion on that. It sounds like to me, you're saying that I don't love you enough,"

John sighed and sat up to get ready for the day. "Can we not do this now?" he asked rhetorically. It was his way of ending the conversation, but Kiana wasn't having any of it.

"No! We're going to talk about this! I love you enough to stay here in this standstill of a relationship for 7 years, John! We've been living together almost 5 of those years and you still won't marry me! What do I have to get you at least think about it?" she asked. Kiana really wanted an answer, but John had decided to ignore her.

Kiana was getting frustrated. "Really? So you're going to ignore me? Do you have any idea what it's like to be around those two? I met them when they first started dating Randy and Wade; I was well into my time with you. Now they're both married and trying to have kids. But here I am looking like a fool for being with you knowing that I'll never have that. I put up with your bullshit excuses because I love you, John. I don't know too many women who would do that," she ranted. Kiana thought her words fell on deaf ears, but John was listening; he'd rather not comment, but he heard her concerns well enough to ponder them while he took his morning shower.

**Orton Residence **

Liz woke up early; not on her own, but with a little coercion from her better half. She moaned happily when she felt Randy's lips and tongue on her neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked blissfully.

Randy smirked on her sweet brown skin. "Nothing," he said as he moved his hips so Liz could feel his fully erect cock against her ass.

She gasped softly. "I've got to stop sleeping naked," she said.

He chuckled. "No, you don't." he said as he rolled Liz onto her back and hovered above her.

Randy rolled her over on her back kissed at nipped at her neck. He found a familiar spot when Liz moaned loudly and arched her back. Part of Liz's arousal had come from the scratching of Randy's beard on her smooth skin. Randy smiled on her skin; he was proud to have found such a tender spot.

He focused on that area until Liz squirmed beneath him. He then moved lower on her body; licking and sucking at her smooth stomach. With his tongue, Randy made a trail from her bellybutton to her left nipple. He lapped at it and pulled it with his teeth. He did the same with her right nipple.

"Randy!" Liz moaned breathlessly. "Fuck me! Please!" she begged. Randy smirked and took his time with her; he hooked his hands on her legs and forced them to each side of her head: knees to ears. Randy was never shocked by Liz's flexibility; the former dancer always had ways of contorting herself.

He leaned down and kissed Liz's lips as he plunged into her; lubricant wasn't needed since she had already provided it. Randy's strokes were slow and smooth but Liz wanted more. "Faster," she moaned. "You sure?" he asked with a smirk. Without thinking about the way he asked, Liz nodded.

All of a sudden, Randy picked up speed; more speed that Liz was hoping for. "Shiiiiit!" she moaned. "ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" she started screaming; screeching, even. Randy knew Liz was getting too loud so he muffled her moans and screams with his own mouth as he kissed her lips.

She wrapped her legs around Randy's body forcing him deeper inside her. She clawed and scratched at his back. He moaned as he got closer to his climax. As his strokes got sloppy, Randy nibbled at Liz's sweet spot on her neck that he found earlier. It sent her over the edge. "Just like that, baby. Right there. I'm coming!" she moaned. "Me too, babe." Randy said. He groaned as he filled her velvet channel with his hot seed.

Liz's body convulsed beneath his as she was lifted high in ecstasy; she arched her back as her eyes rolled back. When she finally settled down, Randy rolled over beside her. He breathed deeply to catch his breath. When he did, he wrapped his arms around his lover. "That was amazing." He said as he kissed the back of her neck.

Liz panted. "Yeah… but I need… to elevate… my hips," she said through heavy breaths.

"For what?" he asked.

Liz rolled over and tucked a pillow under the small of her back. "To get the sperm moving in the right direction," she said.

Randy sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but Randy wasn't ready for a baby. All he wanted was to work and be a husband. Fatherhood wasn't something he wanted, but since Liz wanted so badly to be a mother, he was willing to deal with whatever came his way; that included a baby.

oOo

As planned, Parker was the first to arrive to Liz's place for brunch; she had Wade in tow. Liz hugged and greeted them both when the doorbell rang.

"Thank you so much, girl, for coming early to help out," Liz said.

Parker smiled. "No problem. That's what friends are for," she said.

Liz chuckled. "If that's what friends are for, what are friends' husbands for?" she asked as she tried to figure out why Wade was with her.

Parker shrugged. "I don't know. He wanted to come. I didn't think you'd mind," she said.

Liz waved her off. "Of course I don't mind; I was just curious. You know Wade and I were friends before you and I ever met. I just wish he'd visit me more often instead of only coming around for Randy. Rude," she joked.

Wade laughed. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but champions are busy. I've only time for work and the gym. I had a little free time this morning, so I thought I'd pay an amazing friend a visit," he said.

Liz blushed and smiled; she didn't reply to his kind words.

Parker wasn't so flattered. _Only have time for work and the gym?_, she thought to herself. Wade never mentioned having time for her. "Okay, Parker. We're making a breakfast casserole; let's get to work," she said leading the way to the kitchen. Wade followed them.

Parker was taken aback by the already prepared food on the kitchen bar. "It looks like you've got everything covered, Liz," she said pointing to the buffet-like arrangement.

"What are you talking about? That's just for Randy; he's in the shower, but he's going to the gym later so I made him some breakfast," she explained.

Wade was impressed. "Wow. That all looks so delicious, Liz," he said.

Liz smiled. "Help yourself, Wade. You know where everything is," she said referring to the dishes. Wade nodded and prepared a plate for himself.

As she listened to Liz talk about her plans for the brunch meal, Parker watched Wade move around Liz's kitchen like he lived there. He really did know where everything was; even the hard-to-find utensils. Of 10 drawers, Wade found the silverware immediately. If Parker wasn't worried, she should have been. Wade disappeared from the kitchen to sit in the lounge where he ate the breakfast and watched TV.

Liz continued with her instructions. "I need you to crumble and brown all of this sausage," she said putting a container of raw meat on the counter. "Then mix the cooked sausage with the cream cheese while I make the crust," she instructed.

Parker nodded and got to work. "So is Kiana coming?" she asked.

Liz sighed as she blended the doughy ingredients for the crust. "When I told her that Randy made me invite her, she said she was coming to see what else Randy makes me do," Liz said.

"Seriously?" she asked.

Liz nodded. "Yeah, but I don't really care. There's really nothing for her to talk about today since Randy and John are going to be at the gym during brunch," she said.

Parker breathed relief. "Good. I can't handle another instigated fight between you two. I think Mela has gotten the hang of everything, though," she said.

"Speaking of Mela," Liz started. "Did you hear about Seth's push?" she asked.

Parker frowned. "No. What about it?" she asked.

"They're breaking up The Shield and putting Seth with Evolution," Liz said.

Parker gasped. "That's so great for Seth! I hope everything goes well for him," she said.

Liz nodded. "Me, too,"

oOo

Randy hummed to himself as he came down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Thanks for this breakfast, babe," he greeted Liz with a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Parker," he said with a wave.

Parker waved back. "Hey. Wade is in the lounge; I think he insisted on coming with me just so he can watch Liz cook," she said.

Randy chuckled and nodded "Yeah. Liz is a great cook. She keeps my belly full and my balls empty," he said with a wink to his wife.

Liz was so embarrassed. If her skin was a bit lighter, her entire face would be red from her blushing. "You can't say that to company, Randy," she said with conservative southern charm.

**ONE HOUR LATER **

John decided to join Kiana at Liz's brunch when he found out Wade and Randy were there. Of course, the three of them escaped to the local gym.

Liz sighed at Kiana's presence. "Thank you for coming," Liz said in an attempt to be polite.

Kiana rolled her eyes. "Where's the food,"

"We aren't going to eat until Mela gets here," Liz said. "But I can get you a drink out on the patio," she said leading the older woman outside.

Kiana silently looked around parts of the house she passed on the way to the patio. She knew it was a house Liz and Randy had built from the ground up; the couple's vision had come to life in the form of a house.

The patio table was already set up with chairs and placemats; plates and glassed had not been placed, though.

"Have a seat wherever and I'll get you something to drink," Liz said to Kiana who sat at the head of the table as if she was more important than anyone else. Liz thought maybe Kiana would have been tactful enough to respect the hostess, but she thought wrong.

When Liz joined Parker in the kitchen to get Kiana a drink, her phone rang.

**Hello? **

_Hello? Liz? This is Mela. _

**Oh, hey Mela! Are you lost? **

_Um, no I'm not lost. I just ran into some personal problems. Do you mind if I bring a plus one to brunch? _

**Of course not. I don't mind at all. How far out are you? We decided not to eat until everybody got here, but we're all starving. **

_It's okay. Go ahead and start without me; I'm on my way. _

**Alright, darlin'. See you soon.**

"Is everything okay?" Parker asked.

Liz nodded. "Yeah. That was Mela; she said she ran into some personal stuff and that she's bringing Seth," she said.

"Oh okay. I'll take out the drinks," Parker volunteered as she grabbed two ice buckets; one bucket with a bottle of champagne; the other with a bottle of fresh orange juice.

Liz followed her with a stack of plates, bowls, and saucers. When Kiana saw the pair return with drinks and plates, she dramatically sighed. "Finally," she said.

Liz did everything she could to refrain from being rude to her guest.

"Mela is going to be a little late, but we're going to get started. I'll bring out the fruit first. Hopefully, she'll be here before we start on the casserole," Liz said.

Kiana huffed. "Would you look at that? A white girl on CPT time," she said.

Parker rolled her eyes and busied herself with Liz in the kitchen.

oOo

"So, Parker," Kiana started as she smacked on fruit. "It's been a while since you and I talked. How have you been?" she asked.

Parker shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. I just finished up my book. If my publisher gives me the green light, we'll get to release it and have a book release party. You ladies will be invited, of course," she said.

Liz smiled. "Congratulations, by the way. I know how hard you've been working it," she said.

Kiana was out of the loop. "You wrote a book? What is it about?" she asked.

"I've written several books, actually; this is my fifth," she said. "It's a self-help book for teenage girls who want to be more confident. Of all of my books, I'm most proud of this one," Parker said.

Liz remembered the issue with Parker's last name. "How is your name appearing on the book?" she asked.

Parker sighed thinking of her husband. "Nolan-Barrett. Wade said he wouldn't have been upset if I kept Nolan, but I really wanted to use his name, you know? I'm his wife and the whole world should know that. I felt like I was hiding part of me when I just put Parker Nolan. To me, that read 'single chick writing a book about confidence' but Parker Nolan-Barrett reads 'confident married woman'. Plus, Nolan-Barrett sounds super professional," she said.

Kiana and Liz nodded. When the doorbell rang, Liz jumped up to answer it. Inside the house, Liz opened the door expecting to see Mela and Seth. Instead, she saw Mela and a shy young boy.

"Awww!" Liz cooed. "Come on in! Who is this cutie pie?" she asked Mela referring to the small boy she had by her side.

Mela took a deep breath. "This is my son, Luke," she said. "Say hello, Luke," Mela instructed the boy.

He looked up at Liz and waved. "Hello," he said.

Liz grinned and ushered the pair inside and back out to the patio. "Look who just showed up," Liz said as she got to the table.

Parker smiled and stood to hug Mela. Kiana only smiled and waved.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I just couldn't find another babysitter. My regular called and said she was sick, so I had to bring my son with me," she said.

Both Liz and Parker waved off the apology. Parker smiled. "That's okay, girl. I didn't know you had a son, though," she said.

Mela nodded. "This is Luke. Luke this is Parker; and that's Kiana. You saw Liz at the door, remember," she said pointing out the other three women.

Luke nodded and waved.

"Would you like some orange juice, Luke?" Liz asked.

He nodded. "Yes," he said.

Liz smiled. "Okay. Now, big boys get to drink out of big boy cups. Do you want a big boy cup or do you want a baby cup?" she asked the boy to break him out of his shell.

He grinned. "I want a big boy cup! I'm 7 so I'm a big boy!" he said.

Liz laughed and went inside to get a cup. When she came back, Luke was staring at a butterfly that was fluttering out in the yard.

"Here's your orange juice, Luke," Liz said. The small boy took the cup and smiled.

"What are you supposed to say, Luke?" Mela asked.

After he gulped down the juice, he handed Liz the empty cup and smiled. "Thank you,"

Liz smiled at his adorableness. "You're welcome, sweetie," she said. Liz returned to the table and continued to watch Luke as he started running through the yard chasing the butterfly. "I can't believe you have a son and didn't tell us, Mela," Liz said in admiration.

Mela forced a smile. "Well, I try not to bring up my son to people I first meet. Sometimes, people can be judgmental when they see that his father isn't around," she said.

"What happened to him?" Kiana asked.

Mela sighed. "He died," she said.

"Oh my goodness," Parker gasped. "I am so sorry to hear that," she said.

Liz took Mela's hand in her own for comfort. "That must have been so difficult for you and Luke to handle," she said.

Mela shook her head. "Luke never met him. He did before Luke was born," she said.

The other three women didn't know what else to say. Eventually, the subject was changed and Liz brought out the casserole.

"This is delicious, Liz," Mela said as she ate.

"Thank you, darlin'. I can get you the recipe if you want," she said.

Mela nodded. "Yeah! I'd love it,"

Parker had enjoyed the casserole many times before. Being a cook's best friend had its perks. Kiana didn't say much; Liz knew it would pain the oldest woman to dole out a compliment.

"Oh!" Mela exclaimed. "I almost forgot to tell you guys; I'm planning a couples' retreat soon. I would love it if all of you came," she said.

Kiana rolled her eyes. She really didn't want to go on a retreat with Liz; she hardly wanted to go to the woman's house for brunch, let alone be cooped up with her on a retreat.

Liz was excited. "Wow! I've been thinking about a retreat for the longest. I would love to go. Randy will be thrilled," she said.

Parker was also excited. "That sounds like it could be fun. When is it?" she asked.

"It's going to be the end of next week. We'll leave one week from Thursday; then stay Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We would be back in time for Raw, Monday," she said.

Suddenly, they all heard car doors slam; it was Randy, Wade, John, and Seth back early from the gym. Randy went out to the patio to say hello to the guests. Before he could even speak, he was interrupted.

"Daddy!" Luke squealed and sprinted towards him. The 7 year old jumped into Randy's arms and hugged him tightly.

**TBC**

**A/N: Which of the girls is your favorite? Which is your least favorite? Who do you think is the real enemy; Liz or Kiana? Let me know in the reviews. If you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 5! **

**A/N2: Please don't hate me, Nom-D. Ploome. Everything is going to be okay. Chill. Also, Can'tStandIdiots, I tried my best with the fluff for this chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**A/N: Thanks to Emmettluver2010, Ashleymcd25, PassionWriter101, and the guest for reviewing! Super special thanks to Nom-D. Ploome, Can'tStandIdiots, and TheGirlInThePinkScarf for being so awesome! **

**CONTINUED **

Randy froze where he stood as he held Luke in his arms; he glared at Mela, silently asking for an explanation.

"Daddy, come help me catch a butterfly!" the 7-year-old said.

Randy stammered and looked around. Mela kept her head down, wishing she and Luke could just disappear from that awkward moment; Seth was just as shocked as Parker; Kiana was smirking to herself, undoubtedly thinking of ways to throw the whole situation in Liz's face; Wade was peering over Randy to get a good look at what food was left from the brunch so he could ask Liz for a to-go plate; John was already thinking of a way to make the situation better; and Liz… Randy saw the look on Liz's face and almost felt his heart drop.

His wife of 3 years was so confused, hurt, and angry; Randy knew her emotions were at an all-time high. He calmly put Luke on his feet and took a deep breath as he kneeled to the boy's height.

"Hey, Buddy. Uh, Daddy doesn't know how to catch butterfly. How about you go and show me how to catch a butterfly while I watch you?" he suggested.

Luke grinned and nodded. "Okay, but you gotta watch me, okay?" he said. Randy forced a smile and nodded.

When Randy stood again, he looked at Liz with apologetic eyes. "Baby," he started.

Liz sniffled and stood from her seat with a smile. "Okay, ladies. Thank y'all so much for coming. We should really do this again, sometime. How about you host the next brunch, Parker?" she said.

No one said a word. For a woman who just accidentally found out that her husband has a 7-year-old son, Liz was surprisingly calm.

"Would any of you like a to-go box? There's plenty of food left," she said.

Shamelessly, Wade spoke up. "If it's not too much of a hassle," he said.

Liz smiled. "Of course, not. I'll be right back," she said as she walked back into the house to get the food container.

Back on the patio, everyone took a breath.

"What the fuck is he doing here, Mela?!" Randy asked in a harsh whisper.

Mela sighed. "The babysitter canceled; she was sick. I couldn't just leave him by himself. I had to bring him with me," she explained.

"NO! You didn't have to bring him! You could have stayed with him and not even shown up here," he said.

"Yeah, then Liz would get suspicious anyway!" she said.

Randy rubbed his hands over his short hair. "I specifically said that you can never being him here! I do everything you ask of me, Mela! I asked for one simple thing and you couldn't even do that! I have a family of my own to look after, I don't need you coming in and fucking everything up," he yelled at her.

Mela frowned. "We are your family, Randy," she said.

Randy chuckled humorlessly. "_You_ are not my family. _He_ is," he said.

Mela almost seemed hurt by Randy's words. "But—"

"But nothing, Mela. I thought you would have enough sense to turn down the offer to do this show when you saw Liz was part of it. If you're trying to ruin my life, you can leave now because you did," he said before he turned to walk away.

He was met by Liz on the way back inside; he tried to talk to her. "Liz, can you let me explain?" he asked.

She smiled towards the guests. "Not now, sweetheart," she said as she prepared to fill the food containers with left-overs for Wade.

Randy knew he was in hot water; being the southerner she is, Liz was always one to keep up appearances in public; she never aired her dirty laundry to people outside whatever situation. Randy knew that as soon as their friends left, he was going to get an earful.

As the silence grew louder, Parker excused herself. "I'll see you later on the bus, Liz," she said with a comforting stroke to her best friend's back.

Liz forced a smile and choked back tears; her voice broke as she struggled to maintain her composure. "Actually, I have some work to finish up. I don't think I'll be able to go with you and guys this time," she said.

Parker nodded. "Okay. Call me when you a chance, Liz, please," she practically begged.

Liz nodded and smiled as she forcefully closed Wade's to-go container. "Here you, go, Wade. Enjoy!" she said.

Wade nodded and hugged the woman. "Thank you, Lizzy," he said just before he kissed each of her cheeks.

"Let me walk y'all out," she said as she followed the couple to their car.

Back outside, Seth still hadn't said anything; he didn't know whether to be angry at Mela for lying to him about Luke's father being dead or be angry at Randy for never telling him that he was Luke's father. Seth only sighed. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Mela nodded and called for Luke. When he was his mother's side, he whined. "But I didn't catch the butterfly, yet," he said.

"I know, sweetie. I'll help you catch one when we get home," she said.

Luke nodded and walked out with Mela and Seth. They, too, passed Liz on the way back inside.

"I'm so sorry, Liz. I—" Mela trying to apologize.

"Have a good day!" she said enthusiastically without acknowledging the attempted apology.

John and Kiana were also leaving. "We're going to head out, too, Liz. See you around," John said. Kiana said nothing, but she couldn't help but laugh.

When everyone was gone, Liz took a breath and went upstairs to find Randy. She heard the shower running in the master bathroom. Instead of waiting for Randy to finish his shower, she barged into the bathroom and shut off the shower's water.

"Get out," she said simply.

Randy sighed and wrapped his towel around his body; when he stepped out of the shower, Liz slapped him across the face.

Tears welled up in her eyes for the second time. "Were you ever going to tell me?" she asked.

"I don't want to lie to you, Liz," he said.

"So you were going to sit back and let me be friends with your son's mother and hope I would never find out?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know, Liz. I didn't expect her to be around all the time. We had a specific schedule but this whole reality show thing fucked everything up," he said.

Liz shook her head. "I don't even know what to say to you right now," she said.

"I'm sorry that it happened like this, but trust me when I say that me and Mela have been over for years. We broke off the engagement before we even knew she was pregnant," he said.

Liz was shocked. "You were going to marry her?!" she asked angrily.

"That's not the point, Liz. The point is that there is absolutely nothing going on between us," he said.

Liz scoffed. "Yeah… except your son,"

"Luke has nothing to do with this. Mela and I have been just fine for years. He hasn't changed anything," he said.

"Whatever. I won't be on the bus tonight. I have some work to finish up here," she said.

"No, you don't," Randy said.

"You know what? You're right. I don't have anything to do tonight. I just don't want to spend the next week and a half with you," she said before walking away.

**Mela's Apartment **

"So, uh, you and Randy?" Seth asked.

Mela nodded. "It was a long time ago," she said.

"What happened?" Seth asked. Truthfully, Seth wasn't angry. He just wanted to be a source of comfort for his girlfriend.

Mela sighed. "I was young and dumb. When Randy and I met, I was 18; fresh out of high school. I went on a road trip and I met him in Tampa. We fooled around for a few weeks then we started dating. Eventually he asked me to marry him, but he cheated on me so I broke off the engagement. I didn't know I was pregnant until afterwards," she explained.

"Oh. He cheated with—"

"Liz," Mela finished his sentence.

Suddenly, it all made sense. "So that's why you've been trying to avoid Liz!"

Mela nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know that I would be spending so much time around her for the show. I thought it was going to be more individual then edited together. I didn't realize that I would be so up close and personal," she said.

"So when did you find out about Liz?" Seth asked.

"What do you mean? Like when did I find out Randy was cheating or when did I find out he was cheating with her?"

He thought for a moment. "Both, I guess,"

Mela took a deep breath. "I always had a feeling he was cheating. Part of me almost expected it. What grown man is going to be 100% faithful to an 18/19 year old?" she asked rhetorically. "I didn't know it was Liz until he retweeted her tweet announcing their engagement," she said.

Seth felt bad about asking a series of questions, but he just wanted to know.

"How long after you two broke up did you find out you were pregnant?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "Maybe like 2 or 3 months later," she said. "I didn't tell him until Luke was almost a year old," she said.

Seth frowned. "Why did you wait so long to tell him?" he asked.

Mela shrugged. "I wasn't going to tell him at all. I ran into him downtown and he saw Luke. I had no choice but to tell him," she said. "I didn't want him to think he _had_ to be in Luke's life. I was prepared to be a single mother," she said.

Seth nodded and took a deep breath. "You told me Luke's father died," he said.

"I don't have an excuse for that. Nobody needs to know that he and I have a kid together. We worked out a system where Randy only visits Luke here or somewhere else private. I don't want my son growing up in the spotlight like other kids," she said.  
"I get that, but you didn't have to lie about it. I mean, you killed off the kid's dad for your own selfish reasons," he said.

Mela couldn't help but agree; her lie was finally catching up to her. She only hoped she could outrun it.

**John's RV **

Since John had a few wishes to grant for Make a Wish, he and Kiana left for the arena early. Kiana couldn't stop talking about the day's events.

"I knew something was up with Mela! There was just something fishy about her. Looks like Liz got sloppy seconds," she said.

John sighed. "Do you have to do that? What has Liz ever done to you? The poor woman's husband kept a huge secret from her and all you can do is laugh about it?" he asked.

Kiana shrugged. "What goes around, comes around. She's always such a bitch; it's about time something comes to bite her in the ass," she said.

"You ever think she's a bitch to you because you're so mean to her for no reason?" John asked.

Kiana rolled her eyes. "Why do you care so much about her feelings anyway?" she asked.

"I've known her for almost 8 years. I have never once seen or heard her say a bad thing to or about anybody. She doesn't deserve the way you treat her. If I was her, I would be a bitch to you, too," he said in Liz's defense.

"Well if you like her so much, why don't you go and fuck her. OH wait… you already did," she said.

John groaned. "Do you know how long ago that was, Kiana? You were the one who said you wanted to go on a break. She and Randy were on a break, too. Neither of us did anything wrong. Let it go,"

Kiana sighed. She knew her life would have been different if she had never asked John for a break almost 5 years ago. During that time, John and Liz had reconnected their previous stint together from before Liz and Randy were together.

He was faced with an internal debate when he and Liz got serious again, so John had to take time away from both Kiana and Liz to think about what he wanted out of life. When John and Kiana decided to start mending their relationship after the break, he admitted to Kiana that he had feelings for Liz that he didn't have before. He told her that if the relationship with Kiana and Liz's relationship with Randy didn't work, he would pursue a committed relationship with Liz.

To him, it was only being honest; he didn't want to return to his relationship with Kiana with his feelings for Liz festering. To Kiana, it was an ultimatum. Since then, Kiana and Liz never got along. Of course, the guys were never bitter towards each other because they had been friends for 15+ years. Most people would chalk it up to men and women being different in that way.

**Barrett Residence**

Parker was finally able to get Wade worked up enough to roll around in bed. The newlyweds panted as they laid together in bliss.

Wade smiled as Parker amused herself with his beard; her fingers gently stoked the whiskers on his face. "What are you thinking about?" Wade asked, knowing his wife was deep in thought.

Parker sighed. "This morning," she said.

"What about this morning?"

"You told Liz that all you have time for is work and the gym. You don't have time for me, anymore," she said.

Wade sighed. "I wish I had more time for you, darling, but with everything that's going on right now, I don't have time for myself," he said.

Parker sat up and covered her naked body with the sheets. "You seem to have a whole lot of time for Liz," she said.

Before Wade could offer a rebuttal, she stormed off to the bathroom.

"What just happened?" he thought to himself. Desperate, Wade tried to think about what he said or did earlier that day to make Parker so irritated. Deep in his thoughts, Wade was interrupted by the doorbell. He pulled on his discarded pants and shuffled towards the front door, still trying to figure out what had his wife in such a tizzy.

He opened the door to a panic-stricken Liz. His heart hurt to see his good friend in such a state. He ushered her inside and hugged her tightly against his shirtless body. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She shook her head as she sobbed.

"Okay, let's sit down," he said as she led her to the sofa.

It took her a moment to calm down, but when she did, she was ready to talk.

"I didn't have anyone else to talk to, so I came to talk to Parker," she said.

Wade sighed at the mention of his wife. "She's upstairs. In the shower," he said. "But I'm all ears," he said.

Liz smiled in thanks and cuddled up to her friend.

"He kept it from me for years. He was never going to tell me, Wade," she said.

"You don't know that, Lizzy," he said.

She nodded. "Yes, I do. He told me that he was never going to tell me. He said that he didn't expect Mela to be around me all the time, so there was no point in telling me," she said.

"Wow," Wade was speechless.

"Yeah. I just don't know what to do. I feel like if he kept it a secret, he was trying to hide it from me," she said.

"Maybe he didn't think you would be comfortable around his son," he said.

"No, because we've been trying for baby of our own. I love kids and Randy knows that," she said.

Wade continued to think of excuses for his buddy. While he was thinking, Liz asked a shocking question.

"He doesn't love me, does he?" she asked when she sat up to look into his eyes.

Wade looked at her; the woman was truly broken. "Of course he does, darling. Even if he doesn't, you'll always have me," he said with a kiss to her temple.

Liz smiled. "I know," she said before returning her head to his chest. When she took a breath, she chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Wade asked.

"You smell like sex," she said with a smile.

Wade frowned. "How do you know what my sex smells like?" he asked curiously.

"We've been over this before, Wade. This ain't my first rodeo. I'd know that smell anywhere," she said.

Wade had to agree; they had been friends long enough for her to know.

"But can we change the subject? I don't need to imagine you and Parker going at it," she said.

Wade chuckled. "Sure. I was meaning to ask you if you could give me some recipes for this weekend," he asked.

She frowned. "What do you mean 'recipes'? I'm not going to write everything down for you. My recipes are mine and mine alone. I can teach you how to make whatever it is you want to cook for Parker's birthday," she said.

"I think she thinks something is going on with us," Wade said.

"Wait… what?" she asked.

He nodded. "She's mad at me for something and I don't really know what it is. I think she thinks we're sleeping around," he explained.

Liz's eyes widened. "Never in a million years," she said.

He laughed. "Yeah… you and I know that, but she doesn't,"

Liz was still grossed out. "Ew! I know where your dick has been! That's just nasty. Where is she?" she said as she rose from the spot on the sofa.

"Shower," Wade yelled after her.

"Come with me," Liz said; Wade was right behind her.

When they made it upstairs, Parker was already putting on fresh clothes. "We need to talk," Liz said.

Parker sighed. "I don't think we do," she said crossly.

Liz chuckled. "You sure about that?" she asked.

"I know about you and Wade," Parker said matter-of-factly.

Liz decided to yank her chain. "Oh no. Really?" she asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. He hardly ever touches me anymore. I can't believe you! We were supposed to be friends. How would you like it if I fucked your husband, huh?!" Parker was clearly livid.

"What if I told you that Wade and I aren't sleeping together?" Liz asked.

"I would call you a lying whore because that's exactly what you are!" Parker yelled.

Liz sighed. It had gone too far. "I'm not sleeping with him, Parker," she said.

"Okay, well explain to me how he knows the layout of your kitchen. You never let just anybody in your kitchen, yet he knows where all the dishes are," she said.

"I'm teaching him how to cook some of your favorite foods for your birthday. He wanted to take you out to dinner, but I suggested that he do the cooking himself. He told me that he doesn't know how to cook so I offered to help him," she said.

Parker frowned. "Okay but Mela told me that she saw you and him all over each other backstage," she said.

Liz sighed at the mention of Mela. "Well, Mela might need to get her eyes checked because last night, I was giving him his usual dance lesson. He wants to take you to that salsa club downtown, but he doesn't know how to salsa," she said.

Parker paused to come up with another piece of evidence to prove infidelity. "You and him are always together. When you aren't with me or Randy, you're all over Wade," she said.

Liz laughed. "Okay, Parker. Let's think about this with your rationality. Since I spend so much time with Wade, I must have been sleeping with him, right?" she asked.

Parker nodded.

"Okay, so how long do you think Wade and I have been fooling around?" she asked.

She thought for a moment. "I don't know. A few weeks or so," she said.

Liz nodded. "So Wade and I have been fooling around for a few weeks. Remember back when Randy and I separated before we got married?" she asked.

Parker nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

"John and I got back together for a few months… do you see me hanging out with John all the time? Because according to your logic, the longer people sleep together, the more time they spend together," she said.

Parker was flabbergasted. "But… if you were really teaching him how to cook and dance, why couldn't you just all that stuff here?" she asked.

Liz laughed. "And risk your nosy ass finding out about the surprise. I think not," she said.

Parker looked up at Wade who had remained quiet the whole time. "I'm so sorry, Bear," she said.

He smiled and hugged her. "It's okay. I understand how that might have looked. I just thought you would be okay with me getting lessons from Liz instead of some other random woman," he said.

Parker laughed. "And instead, I accused you of sleeping with her. I'm sorry, Liz," she said.

Liz waved her off. "It's okay, girl. I totally understand. I'll leave you two alone," she said as she walked out of the room. She had to go make amends with her own husband… whether she wanted to or not.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 6! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Special thanks to Ashleymcd25, ghost303, wweanddegrassi, PassionWriter101, and Emmettluver2010 for reviewing. Super special thanks to TheGirlInThePinkScarf, Nom-D. Ploome, and Can'tStandIdiots for being so awesome. **

**FRIDAY**

Kiana was walking around the catering tables in search of something healthy yet filling to eat. She hadn't seen or spoken to Liz, Parker, or Mela since the shocking news of Randy being the father to Mela's son. Kiana wanted so badly to call Mela up and get more details on her relationship with Randy; she wanted to know every detail.

Anything that would make Liz feel uneasy was something Kiana wanted to know. She had begun to keep an arsenal of information on the younger woman in case she ever wanted to blackmail Liz for some reason. There were things that Kiana knew about Liz that not even Parker knew about Liz; the pair of buddies shared everything with each other. Kiana felt a sense of pride knowing that she held Liz's dark past in the palm of her hands, ready to be used as ammunition at any time.

As Kiana was finally deciding on what to eat, she heard the loud racket of heels pounding the floor. She groaned and rolled her eyes; she knew exactly whose footsteps they belonged to. When the owner of the southern drawl didn't say anything in passing, Kiana smirked and followed Liz with her plate of food.

"Well howdy, partner," Kiana said. Liz continued to ignore her as she browsed the catering tables. "I mean if my man had a baby mamma I didn't know about, I'd be pretty pissed. You seem to be handling everything well," she said.

Liz kept ignoring the pest that was Kiana.

"On top of that, she tried to be buddy-buddy with you knowing she fucked your man," Kiana continued.

Finally, Liz had a response. "I'm not like you, Kiana. I don't hold grudges for stuff that happened years ago. I guess I can see where your hostility for me stems from, though. I have my _husband_ on lockdown," she said as she flashed her wedding ring/engagement ring combination rings. "You, on the other hand, have your insecurities because you know John would rather have me than you," she said.

Kiana was seething; she grasped at straws for a comeback, but she couldn't come up with anything.

"It's okay, though, sweetheart. You don't have to worry about me taking him. I'm happy with what I have; too bad I can't say the same for John," Liz winked and sashayed away.

Later that evening, John and Randy were each getting ready for their separate matches. As the awkward silence pierced the room, John sighed. "How you holdin' up?" he asked his best friend of almost 15 years.

Randy shrugged. "I don't know. Liz is a hella pissed; but that's no surprise," he said.

John chuckled. "Yeah. She's got a bad temper…" he said.

"Can I ask you something?" Randy asked.

John could tell that the question Randy was about to ask was going to set their friendship back for the time being. He nodded anyway.

Randy took a deep breath before asking. "When you and Liz were together and you went back to Kiana, how did Liz handle it?" he asked.

John chuckled nervously. "I don't understand why you want to know," he said.

"Just tell me, man. It's not like I didn't know you were sleeping with her," Randy pointed out.

"Fine," John said. "She wasn't mad if that's what you're asking," he said.

Randy was getting enough of John's beating around the bush. It already made him feel inferior knowing that John had a deeper relationship with Liz than he did. John knew things about Liz that he didn't know. John was important to Liz and that fact was one that Randy was never able to handle.

"Never mind," Randy said as he stood. In an attempt to keep his emotions in check, he stretched and did a few warm ups before leaving. As he opened the door, Liz was on the other side with her fist balled, prepared to knock.

"Oh. Hey," she said to her husband. "Can I talk to you?" she asked.

Randy sighed. "Right now?" he asked. Liz nodded. Randy looked back a John, silently asking him to allow them some privacy.

John nodded and stood to leave. Liz smiled and waved. "Hey, Jay," she said. John didn't even acknowledge her presence; he left without even looking in her direction.

"What do you want to talk about?" Randy asked as he closed the door after John left.

"Can y'all cut the cameras?" Liz asked the camera men. The men nodded and left as well. When they were gone, Liz sighed and crossed her arms over her body.

"I want to apologize for the way I've reacted to this whole situation with Mela and Luke," she said.

Randy frowned and sat down; Liz joined him and continued. "I should not have hit you and I shouldn't have gone to Wade after. However, I don't think I was treated fairly, either. You didn't tell me you were engaged when we met, you didn't tell me she was pregnant, and you didn't tell me that you knew she was going to be in my personal space. Hell, you didn't tell me anything about anything." She said.

"I didn't—", Liz cut him off.

"I'm not done. You made me look like a fool, Randy. I have been trying to give you a baby for years and this whole time, you knew you had a son. You saw him every week, and you've been a father to him; yet, you don't seem to want to have a baby with me. And for that reason, I don't know how we're going to move forward from here,"

Again, Randy tried to speak. Liz held up a hand to stop him.

"When or if we do move forward, I only ask that you try to figure out some kind of way for you and Mela to co-parent in a way that would include me as a step-mother. I'm not saying that I _have_ to be part of Luke's life. I'm only saying that I would appreciate it if you would let him know about me as your wife because I'm sure you haven't told him," she said.

"Can I say something?" Randy asked.

Liz nodded and gave him the floor.

"I don't get why you're so upset about something that happened before you and I met. Mela was already pregnant when we met. It's not like I was sneaking around behind your back to fuck your best friend," he said.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Really? I came in here to try to resolve an issue but you're bringing this up. John and I are done. Over. I have absolutely no connection to him. You, on the other hand, have a _child_ with Mela. You wanted to go on a break and John was there for me. I'll admit that I was wrong to start up another relationship with John but at least you knew that he and I were together during that time. He came to you and asked for your blessing. You had the opportunity to tell him no. Knowing John, he would have honored that and left me alone, but you told him it was okay. You have no right to be upset about that," she said.

Randy cradled his head in his hands and took deep breaths. "I need to go get ready for my match," he said in an attempt to end the conversation.

Liz looked at her watch. "No you don't. You have an hour and a half. I'm trying, here, Randy. Give me some credit," she said. "Just tell me what you're thinking; give me some kind of insight on why you kept secrets from me,"

Randy sighed and rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. "I didn't mean to," he said.

Liz frowned "Didn't mean to do what?" she asked.

He stood and paced the floor. It was as if he was fighting his own emotions.

"Talk to me, babe," Liz said from where she sat.

He groaned. "I didn't mean to fall in love with you, okay?! I didn't go out that night to look for a hook up. I went out to blow off some steam. If I hadn't met you that night, I would have still been with Mela and Luke. None of this would be happening right now. You wouldn't be fighting with Kiana, I wouldn't be explaining myself to you right now, I wouldn't be afraid of losing you if you had a baby," he ranted.

"What does me having a baby have to do with you losing me?" she asked.

He sighed. "You love kids, Liz. If you had a baby, you wouldn't travel with me anymore, you wouldn't be around when I needed you, and we wouldn't spend time together at all. A baby means that I'm back in the shadows like I was when you were with John," he admitted.

Liz smirked; she tried to hide her amusement but Randy noticed it. "See? This is why I didn't tell you! You can't even take me seriously right now," he yelled.

"No, baby. It's not that I can't take you seriously. I just think it's funny how all of this fighting and hostility could have been avoided if you were more in touch with your emotions," she said. Liz stood and walked over to Randy; she took his hands in her own and smiled.  
"I love you, Randy. You have no idea how much I love you. Can I tell you why I want a baby?" she asked. He nodded slightly; avoiding eye contact out of shame. "I want to have part of you with me all the time. You are the most kind, loving man I have ever met. Why wouldn't I want to make another tiny person just like you?" she asked rhetorically.

Randy just stood there.

Liz smiled and wrapped her arms around the tall man's neck to hug him. "You don't have to say anything, I just want you to know that I love you and I'm willing to forgive you for everything so we can move forward with a clean slate," she said.

With his arms wrapped around her curvy frame, Randy pulled away from the hug and kissed her deeply. Liz moaned into the kiss but stopped it short. "Don't start something you can't finish," she said.

Randy smirked. "You said I had an hour and a half…" he said.

Liz chuckled. "Yeah, but I don't. I have to get back to the hotel to set up for Parker's birthday party," she said.

Randy nodded remembering the birthday party Liz had been planning for weeks. "Okay. But I want you to myself tonight. Got it?" he asked.

Liz smiled and pecked his lips. "I promise," she said sweetly before walking out of the dressing room.

oOo

Elsewhere, Parker was casually talking to some of the WWE divas she had gotten to know during her relationship with Wade.

"I heard your birthday was coming up," Nikki Bella pointed out.

Parker grinned and nodded. "Yep," she said happily.

"I bet Wade has something super romantic planned for your birthday," a twin said.

"I don't know, Brie. He might, knowing him," Parker said.

The women continued their conversation, but they were interrupted by Mela.

"Um, excuse me, but can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked Parker.

Parker empathized with Mela and her situation but her loyalty to Liz almost made her reject Mela's request. However, her heart of gold wouldn't let her. She sighed and led Mela to a vacated hallway.

"I know I have no right to ask, but I need to know if it's safe for me to talk to Liz about what happened," Mela said.

Parker took a deep breath and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Honestly, I don't know. Liz is pretty bad at covering up her emotions, but I know for a fact that she's pretty upset. I don't think she's upset with you, though. Even if she is, Liz is logical and she'll hear you out if you approach her the right way," Parker advised.

Mela nodded and walked away in search of Liz. When she finally found the older woman, Liz was leaving the building; Mela jogged to catch up to her.

"Liz!" she called out.

Liz turned around to see Mela speed walking towards her direction. Liz took a calming breath. "Hey, Mela. I have been meaning to talk to you. I'm busy right now, though, but if you come with me to the hotel to help set up Parker's party, we can talk there," she said.

Mela nodded and followed Liz to the cab she had called minutes prior. The ride to the hotel was expectedly awkward; but it gave each woman a chance to think of what to say to the other.

oOo

When Mela and Liz were in the ballroom, Mela was the first to address the elephant in the room. "I never meant to cause any drama with you," she said. Liz listened quietly while she laid out the themed plates and napkins. "I guess I was thinking about what was best for Luke and at the time, having a good father/son relationship with Randy was best for him. I didn't want him to grow up in the spot light, so I asked Randy to keep everything quiet. I want you to know that he wasn't comfortable with it at first, but as time went by he told me to never bring Luke around you because he knew how hurt you would be," Mela explained. She paused to let Liz step in but the woman didn't say anything. Mela didn't prepare anything else to say so the conversation seemed to end with that.

Eventually, Liz approached Mela. "I'm not mad at you, Mela. I can actually understand why you wanted to keep Luke away from the spotlight. You're only a mother protecting her child; I can't be mad at you for that. I just wish you would have told me about Luke when you met me. You knew who I was but I knew nothing about you. That part seemed sort of shady, but like I told Randy, I'm willing to forgive you and move on," she said.

Mela smiled. "Really?" she asked.

Liz nodded. "Really. I'm not one to hold grudges," she said. Liz even opened her arms to Mela; the women hugged out any issues that laid between us before resuming the decoration of the ballroom.

"How did Seth react?" Liz asked.

Mela shrugged. "He's upset. I told him that Luke's father died, too. I don't think he'll admit it, but I think he's most upset that I was involved with one of his coworkers and didn't tell him," she said.

Liz nodded. "You have to know that he would be entitled to be upset, though. It probably seems like you left that part out on purpose because of some ulterior motives," she said.

Mela thought for a moment. "I can see how that might have looked," she said.

Liz didn't give a response; she just left Mela with her thoughts.

Later that night, WWE superstars and divas filled the room to get ready for Parker's surprise party. Liz had asked Wade to keep Parker occupied long enough for everyone to leave the arena and get changed for the party. So far, he was going a good job since neither he nor Parker were at the hotel yet.

When the couple finally arrived, the party's attendees enthusiastically yelled, "SURPRISE," as Parker walked into the ballroom. The celebrant was shocked enough to tear up and cry. She immediately hugged her best friend knowing that Liz was behind the whole thing. Parker was so glad to be spending her birthday with the men and women who accepted her into their tightknit family. Having Wade, Randy, and Liz by her side made every difficulty in being a wrestler's wife worthwhile.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review! When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 7!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my good friend, , whose birthday is today! Happy birthday, dear! Thank y'all for reading. Special thanks to Emmettluver2010, nafiondf aof, Ashleymcd25, PassionWriter101, wweanddegrassi, and ghost303 for reviewing. Super special thanks to Can'tStandIdiots, TheGirlInThePinkScarf, and for being so awesome! **

**ONE WEEK LATER**

As the couple panted to catch their breaths, Liz couldn't help but feel guilty. "I need to call Ash," she said.

Randy sighed. "Why do you always do that?" he asked.

Liz sighed. "I have to call her, Randy. She's my sponsor. That's sort of what you do when you're in recovery," she said; partially sarcastic.

"No; you're supposed to call a sponsor _before_, not after," he said. "You don't see alcoholics calling a sponsor after they're shitfaced, do you?" he asked rhetorically.

Liz rolled her eyes and reached for her cellphone to call the sponsor.

"Hey, Ash…. I'm pretty good. I was just calling because I had a relapse of sorts…. I know casual sex with my husband isn't really a big deal, but I thought I'd call for some support anyway," she said into the phone.

Randy groaned and rolled out of bed to take a shower. Liz sighed and continued her conversation with her sponsor.

"I was actually wondering if there were any local SAA meetings I could go to within the next 2 or 3 days?" she asked. "Sure, I'll hold," she said.

As she waited for the sponsor to come back to the phone, Liz started thinking about how much she had improved over the last few years. Her life had not been compromised by sex as much as it had been in the past; that was something she was proud of.

Liz's thoughts were interrupted when the sponsor returned; she listened intently to the question she was being asked. "I'm in southern California; Burbank to be exact," she said. "Today? Great! I'll definitely be there. Is it mixed or women only?" Liz sighed when she heard the answer.

"Okay. Thank you so much. Bye," she ended the call.

With her afternoon suddenly filled, Liz jumped out of bed and looked through her bags for something to wear. She had not packed for a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting, so her choices were limited since she and Randy were on the RV for the next two days. All she really had was dresses and workout clothes. She would have worn her workout clothes if it didn't only consist of a sports bra and running shorts.

Liz was still trying to find something when Randy came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. The sexual frustration took over Liz; she took a deep breath and tried to focus.  
"Do you have some clean sweats and a t-shirt I can wear today?" she asked her husband.

Randy frowned but dug the clean clothes from his luggage. "What do you need it for?" he asked as he handed her the clothes.

"I'm going to SAA, today," she said.

"Seriously?! Here? What if somebody sees you?!" he asked angrily.

"So what if they see me, Randy? At least I'm getting help. It's better than pretending my addiction doesn't exist. The first step is admitting that I have a problem. I'm trying to get better for you, too, you know," she argued.

Randy shook his head. "Whatever, Liz. Is it mixed or what?" he asked.

She sighed. "It's mixed," Randy clenched his fists to suppress his anger.

"What good does a sex addicts anonymous meeting with men and women do? All of you are addicts; that's like having bartenders in an AA meeting," he said, comparing sex addicts to alcoholics.

Liz shook her head. "You knew what you were getting into when we met; so stop acting like it's brand new. Just because I stopped going to meetings doesn't mean that I'm not an addict anymore. I'll always be an addict; but I'll be a _recovering _addict," she said.

Randy sighed and turned away to tend to his own business.

**LATER THAT AFTERNOON**

After convincing Randy to get his driver to take them to a rental car company, Liz has rented a car and driven the Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting. Before she went inside, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. It had been at least one year since she had gone to an SAA meeting. Not only that, but she had gotten accustomed to women-only meetings; sure she had gone to mixed meetings before, but never had she been this far gone.

As she walked into the meeting room, she felt all eyes on her. The meeting had not yet started, but she could tell that all the attendees had gotten to know each other pretty well. She was new and they could tell.

"Alright. Let's get started," the therapist said. The group got quiet and sat in a large circle. "It seems today we have a new comer. My name is Meredith Richardson. Would you like to introduce yourself and tell us your story?" the therapist asked.

Liz nodded and cleared her throat.

"Hi. My name is Liz and I'm an addict," she started.

"Hi, Liz," the community of peers responded.

She sighed. "This is my first time back in a meeting in over 3 years, so I guess I'll just tell you how I ended up here. I grew up in foster care in Texas until I was too old for the system. When the state released me, I traveled around the country until I landed in Florida where I met my first boyfriend. A lot of people would say that at 18, a girl wouldn't know what love was, but I did. I was a virgin when I met him; and after he and I made love, I knew that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. He was just so sexually pleasing.

"Most people with stories that start out like that end it with some traumatic experience or some heartbreaking breakup, but I can honestly say that I didn't have a traumatic experience or a breakup with him. Nothing was ever bad with him; I guess the truth is that he was too good. The sex was too good; it took over my life. I don't think he noticed; I think he thought I had a high sex drive.

"I first realized I had a problem when he got into a pretty bad accident and I tried to seduce him while he was in a coma. A nurse walked in on me… uh… performing oral sex on a man who couldn't feel anything. I was actually ashamed; that's when I knew I had a problem and started getting help. When my boyfriend woke up from his coma after about a month, he really helped me get better. He was extremely supportive and his joined me in my vow of celibacy while I tried to better myself.

"But like all good things, our relationship ended. There wasn't any heartbreak; we just sort of drifted apart. Years later, I met the man who is now my husband. I had been doing really well with my celibacy so I decided to make amends; I decided that I was going to only have sex with my husband. So far, that had been great. After being married for three years, my husband was the only person I was sexually involved with per my celibacy vow.

"Then after I found out about some of his skeletons, I started to feel isolated and unwanted. I remembered how great it felt to be satisfied with no strings attached. For about 2 weeks, I've been feeling the need to go back into my toychest and play round. I don't want to jeopardize my marriage and my life because of some battery powered silicone."

When Liz finished her story, the room was silent until Meredith stepped in.

"Thank you for sharing, Liz. May I ask you a question?" she asked. Liz nodded. "You spoke so fondly about your first boyfriend, but you hurriedly skimmed over your marriage. Do you think there is something behind that?" she asked.

Liz shrugged. "I don't know. I love my husband and I have love for my first boyfriend; I always will, but my husband comes first. They're just so different; my husband keeps his emotions so bottled up but the other guy is so open and carefree with me," she said.

Meredith frowned. "You speak in present tense about them both. Are you still in contact with your first boyfriend?" she asked.

Liz sighed and nodded. "Yeah, but I think about him more than I actually see him," she said.

Meredith smiled, so did some of the other people in the circle. "Can I offer my opinion?" she asked. Again, Liz nodded. "I think maybe you're feeling guilty for being so close with your ex and your regression is your subconscious punishing you for it," the therapist said.

Liz suddenly felt enlightened; it all actually made sense. Had she really been spending so much of her time fantasizing about someone from her past that her own mind noticed before she noticed herself? It was something that Liz was glad to finally figure out. Maybe now, she and Randy can finally move past their state of limbo.

**oOo**

Parker had barricaded herself in the hotel's bathroom as she waited for the 3 minutes to pass. When her cellphone's alarm went off, she flinched. Shakily, she grabbed the small the device form the counter and looked at the small window that housed the results.

She smiled at the tiny plus sign on the pregnancy test. "BEAR!" she screamed.

Like superman, Wade rushed into the bathroom assuming that Parker had been hurt. "What happened?!" he asked, full of concern.

She showed him the results as she grinned from ear to ear. "I'm pregnant! We're having a baby!" she announced to him.

Wade was a bit confused. "Wait… what? What do you mean we're having a baby?" he asked.

Parker frowned. "I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a baby," she said slowly.

"A baby?" he asked.

Parker smiled at his adorable confusion; she approached him and wrapped her arms around his body. "Yes, Bear… a baby. You and I have created a tiny little baby that is currently growing inside my belly and in less than 9 months, there will be little baby boy or baby girl that we get to take care of," she said.

The Englishman suddenly gasped. "You're pregnant?! Oh, my gosh! We're going to have a baby?" he asked.

Parker laughed and nodded. "Yes!" she squealed.

In an attempt to stay strong, Wade bit back the tears of joy. "I'm going to be a daddy," he said.

His small wife nodded. "Yes, Bear. You're going to be a Papa Bear," she said.

Wade couldn't believe it. "This is amazing," he said. "The fellas are going to be so excited for you," he said as he turned away to grab his phone.

"No. Let me talk to Liz, first, okay? You know she and Randy have been trying for a baby since they got married. Plus, the whole Mela having Randy's baby thing…" she trailed off.

Wade sighed and nodded. "You're right. We'll wait. In the meantime, we have to get going; our flight leaves soon," he said.

Parker nodded and finished packing up the hotel.

**oOo**

"I don't get why I have to go on this retreat in the first place," Kiana complained as John's RV rolled through California towards Florida. She laid cuddled next to her long-time boyfriend.

John sighed. "You don't have to go, but I'm sure Mela would appreciate you going," he said.

Kiana rolled her eyes. "Sure… let me not go so you and Little Miss Honky Tonk Hooker can get friendly? I don't think so," she said.

John shook his head. "Why are you so threatened by Liz," he asked.

"I'm not threatened by her; I just don't trust her," she said. You and her have been hooking for years and that kind of thing doesn't just go away. I need to keep an eye on her at all times when she's around you," Kiana said.

John frowned. "It sounds like you don't trust me either…" he said.

Kiana sighed and cuddled deeper into John's body. "I trust you, baby; it's her I don't trust,"

John moved away from Kiana. "If you trusted me, you would trust me to ignore any advances from her _if_ she were to make any," he pointed out.

Kiana thought for a moment and nodded. "True, but you're too naïve to know when she's flirting with you. What you call being friendly is what I call being a hoe," she said.

John stood from where he was and moved the front of the RV; he needed a break from the jealousy that dripped from Kiana's personality.

**oOo**

"So, everything is set," Mela said as she hung up the phone.

"Great," Seth said. "So as soon as we get there, we can all get into the bungalows without a problem?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yep. They've all been cleaned out and put on reserve," she said.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Luke whined.

Seth smiled at the small boy. "How about you and I go take a look at the room service menu?" he suggested.

Luke nodded and climbed onto the bed Seth and Mela were sharing. "I want pizza and macaroni and cheese," he said.

"You can't have both, sweetie. Pick one," Mela said.

When Luke pouted, Seth pretended to whisper to Luke as if he was the only person to hear Seth's voice. "We can have pizza and macaroni; Mommy doesn't have to know. I won't tell her if you won't," he said.

Luke's eyes widened at what he thought was a secret mission. "Okay. Then we'll just get one," the small boy said in an attempt at acting.

Mela laughed and pretended to be in the dark about the whimsical deception.

After Seth put in the room service order, he told Mela how long it would take. "They said it'll be about thirty minutes," he said.

Mela nodded. "Perfect. That's just enough time for Luke's bath," she said.

The 7-year-old ran around the hotel room to evade bath time. To his dismay, Mela caught him and carried him to the bubble bath of doom.

**DAYS LATER—COSTA RICA **

Seth and Mela were the first to arrive at the Costa Rican retreat spot. The bungalows were beautifully situated on the water; each of them connected with by wooden bridges. It was breath taking.

When they found their own bungalow, Seth immediately fell backwards on the bed. "Finally, I can get some sleep," he said drowsily.

Mela smirked and straddled his lap. "You sure about that?" she asked as she leaned down to kiss his full lips.

He smiled sleepily and returned the kiss. "Yeah, I'm sure. Don't you have some planning to do?" he asked in reference to the next day's activities for all of the couples.

Mela groaned. "Why did you have to remind me?" she asked.

Seth chuckled. "Do you really think this couples' thing is going to bring everybody together?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know; I hope so. I just don't want to be in the middle of all the drama. Lately, all the drama starts with someone else, but I'm always in the middle. It's getting old and I just want to change that," she said.

He nodded, understand her position.

**oOo**

Wade and Parker were next to arrive; they took an early morning flight as well.

"This place is beautiful!" Parker said as she admired the crashing waves.

Wade nodded. "Not as beautiful as you, love," he said.

Parker blushed; even though their anniversary was almost 2 weeks away, Wade still had the power to make his wife giggle like a school girl.

When the couple got settled in their bungalow, they cuddled for a while.

"Have you talked to Liz?" Wade asked.

Parker sighed. "Yeah, but she's going through a lot right now," she said.

Wade nodded. "SAA?" he asked.

Confused, Parker shot up from where she was laying. "How do you know about that?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I went to some meetings with her a while back. They do sessions where you can bring a friend to help through some of the more challenged parts of recovery.

"Oh… I thought I was the only one who knew," she said.

**oOo**

Liz and Randy were next to show up. Immediately, they noticed that their bungalow was bigger than all the others. Liz chuckled. "I told her that I wasn't mad at her," she mumbled.

"What? What did you say?" Randy asked.

She smiled. "Last week she apologized and kinda asked if I was mad at her. I told her we were cool; that I wasn't mad. I guess she doesn't believe me since she assigned us with the biggest bungalow of all 4 of these," she said.

Randy nodded. "Well, that's a good thing, right?" he asked.

Liz scoffed. "Yeah. Your wife and baby mama: best buds," she said jokingly.

**oOo**

John and Kiana were last. John had some last minute business to take care of; naturally, Kiana chose to wait for him instead of getting on the earlier flights.

"Wow," John said as he admired the surroundings while he and Kiana walked towards their bungalow. "This place is amazing. I think I just found a new vacation spot," he said.

Kiana wasn't impressed. "It's nice," she said.

John ignored her attitude; he wasn't in the mood for finding out what was making Kiana so pissy.

"Oh, look. We're right next to Cotton Eyed Hoe," Kiana said sarcastically.

"Really, Kiana? We're here to have a good time, not start drama," John said.

Kiana shrugged. "Just pointing out the obvious.

**oOo**

That night, all four couples decided to have a nice dinner at a local restaurant. Unfortunately, the wait for a table of 8 was nearly an hour. While everyone else waited, Liz decided to go for a walk; John joined her, much to Kiana's dismay.

"I'm glad you're here," Liz said as she and John walked along the secluded beachfront. "I wanted to talk to you about something," she said.

John frowned. "What is it?' he asked.

She took a breath. "I went to SAA this week," she said.

John's eyes widened. "Okay…" he said waiting to hear more.

"You came up," Liz said.

He chuckled. "I figured," he said.

Liz smiled. "It's not funny," she said playfully nudging him.

"Well, how did it go?" he asked.

She sighed. "First of all, I sorta relapsed with the toys. The therapist in Burbank thinks my relapse might be my subconscious punishing me for… uh… thinking about you," she said.

John nodded and listened intently.

"She said I would feel a bit better if I distanced myself from you," she said. "but I told her that I wouldn't do that," she finished.

John stopped in his tracks. "Why not, Liz? If I'm the problem, you should do what the therapist said and distance yourself," he said.

"The problem is… I think you're what's getting me through this. You've always been so supportive of me doing this. You've been there for me since day one and I'll never forget that," she said.

John smiled sweetly. "But, now, you've got Randy. You don't need me anymore," he said.

Liz sighed. "If I can be honest… Randy is more concerned about people finding out about all this than he is about my recovery," she said.

John shook his head. "That's not true," he said.

"Yes it is, Jay. When I told him I was going to SAA, he was afraid that someone would see me going. He doesn't want people knowing that his wife is a sex addict," she said.

John thought for a moment. "Maybe you should sit down with him and explain your situation with him," he said.

Liz laughed. "I can see it already…. 'Hey Randy. I fucked two of your best friends. But it's okay because I'm an addict.' Yeah, he'll definitely understand," she said.

John had to chuckle at the blunt statement. "I'm not saying that you tell him about Wade; I'm only suggesting that you let him know what you expect from him going forward: whether or not you're going to continue with SAA and how you would prefer him react to it all," he said.

"I guess…" she said.

John took her hand in his as they walked. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm proud of you for going back to SAA. I know it sucks to share your deepest, darkest secrets. You're really brave for doing that," he said.

Liz smiled proudly and moved closer to John to feed off of his warmth. "Thanks, I'm glad I can talk to you about stuff like this. I just Randy was as easy to talk to," she said.

As they finished the walk in silence, they rounded towards the restaurant where the other 6 people were still waiting for the table. John and Liz sat with their partners and continued to wait. When the party of 8 was finally called, the drinks were ordered. Mela was already getting nervous, but she made a toast anyway.

"I just want to thank all of you for coming on this little trip. I think we all needed a little relaxation," she said, stumbling over her words.

Kiana chuckled. "I don't know why you're so nervous, Mela. Your man is the only dude at the table Liz hasn't fucked," she said. The table got silent. "Oh, you didn't know? As it turns out, Little Miss Sunshine is actually a sex addict. She's had every D at the table; minus Seth's of course, but I wouldn't count him out, though. It's bound to happen eventually," she said.

Liz's eyes had welled with tears, she stormed away from the table and went outside; John and Randy followed her. As expected, Kiana followed John. Before John could get too close to Liz, Randy pushed him away.

"Not now, man. Just leave her alone," Randy said. John held up his hands in defense and backed off.

Kiana caught up to John but before she could get a word in, he finally snapped.

He sighed as he paced the floor. "I don't get it. I really don't. How can you just sit there and say all that and expect me not to be pissed off about it?! I've had enough of you and your bullshit! I'm done! I can't do this anymore! When we get back to the states, I don't want to see you anywhere near me," he yelled. "Pack up all your shit and get the fuck out of my house!"

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 8!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Special thanks to ghost303, Ashleymcd25, PassionWriter101, wweanddegrassi, and the guest for reviewing. Super special thanks to Nom-D. Ploome, Can'tStandIdiots, and TheGirlInThePinkScarf for being so awesome! Please review!**

**CONTINUED… **

At the table, Wade, Parker, Seth, and Mela all sat in silence; mostly because of bombshell Kiana just dropped. Wade sighed and waited for Parker to yell at him; when she didn't, he started apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Parker. It was a long time ago; I was drunk and—" Parker cut him off.

"It's okay, Wade. I know about that one time the two of you hooked up. It's fine. Liz told me about it when you and I first got engaged," she said.

Wade frowned. "Really?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, really. I know all about it; it's totally fine so calm down," the pregnant woman said.

Wade breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good," he said.

Mela felt the need to do something. "I can't believe this is happening. All I wanted was for all of us to get together and be cordial for three fucking days! I shouldn't have even invited Kiana. I was trying to be a good person, but that ship sailed!" she ranted.

Parker shook her head. "It'll be okay, Mel; we know you had good intentions but I think we all expected something to happen with Kiana and Liz. It's not your fault," she said.

Mela got up and left the table; Seth stayed behind and tried to make casual conversation with the other two people at the table.

"So, Barrett, how's everything as IC champ?" he asked.

Wade smiled. "It's bloody fantastic," he said. "Hunter and Steph are talking about putting me up for the big one," he said.

Seth was impressed. "For the world heavyweight championship? That's awesome, man," he said.

oOo

As Mela was making her way outside to get some fresh air, she saw John and Kiana in the restaurant lobby; John was visibly upset and Kiana was crying.

"You always take her side! _I _am your girlfriend, not _her_!" she sobbed.

John scoffed. "I can't believe you're playing the victim right now! After all the shit you put Liz through, you want to pretend like I did something wrong? That's complete bullshit!" he yelled.

"She always comes before me and it's not fair. You treat me like a side hoe! _I _am the one you come home to after work! Not her!" she said through her teeth.

"You know what, Kiana? Since you want to compare yourself to Liz, how about I help you," he started. "She has a job; a real job! She doesn't run a fucking gym that doesn't create any profit. Liz is actually a nice person; you tend to be a bitch. Wait… I'll be honest; Liz can be a bitch but at least she knows when to turn it off. You're always on bitchmode and that's what makes you unbearable," John said.

Kiana stood in silence; partly ashamed to hear all the negative things John thought about her.

"Liz cooks! There's a good one. She actually knows how to work a stove!" he said.

Kiana defended that particular statement. "First of all, you told me that you don't want to cook for you! So, you can't throw that in my face," she said. "Second of all, she's a professional. You can't expect me to do what she does when she does that for a living," she said.

John scoffed. "You don't have to be a world class chef to bake some chicken and steam vegetables, Kiana! Kids can do that," he said.

Mela would have loved to stay and listen to more of the verbal lashing, but she stepped in. "Hey," she said softly.

Kiana rolled her eyes at Mela and John forced a friendly smile.

"Look, Kiana… I only invited you and John because I thought maybe you would be able to be civil with Liz. Clearly, I was wrong, so I would really appreciate it if you would leave tonight. The rest of the trip is going to be together as a group and I think you've proved that you won't be able to handle being around Liz. So, I think it would be best if you weren't around," she said.

Kiana frowned. "You're kicking me off the trip?" she asked.

Mela sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry, but it's for the best," she said.

"Why can't Liz leave? Huh?" she asked defensively.

John answered, "Because she isn't the one who always creates a cloud of hatred everywhere she goes!" he said.

Mela silently agreed. "John, if you want to stay, you can; I'm don't think you've done anything to warrant being kicked off the trip," she said.

John sighed. "It's okay, Mela. I think I'm going to leave, too. I need to pack up all of Kiana's stuff and ship it to her ASAP," he said.

Mela nodded and left the former couple alone.

oOo

Liz had walked out to the beachfront alone; Randy had followed her. When he found her, she was sitting in the sand with her knees to her chest; she was crying. Randy sighed and sat next to her.

"Hey," he said softly.

Liz sniffled. "Hey," she whispered. "Can I have a minute," she asked.

Randy shook his head. "No. I'm going to stay here with you until you're ready to go back," he said.

She laughed humorlessly. "I'm not going back there; not as long as she's there," Liz said referring to Kiana.

"Is it true?" he asked.

"Is what true?" she asked.

Randy sighed. "Kiana said that Seth was the only guy at the table that you hadn't…" he trailed off.

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah; that's true. A long time ago, Wade had gotten really drunk at a bar I was at and he needed some help getting home. I helped him catch a cab and walked him to his door and one thing led to another," she said nonchalantly.

"You can't just say 'one thing led to another' and expect me to drop it, Liz," Randy said.

"Fine… he was drunk and I took advantage of that. I convinced him that we should hook up and he went with it," she said. "I had just started recovery; I'm not using that as an excuse, but I wanted to make sure you knew that part," she said.

He nodded slowly. "Does Parker know?' he asked.

Liz laughed. "Yeah. I told her about me and Wade when she told me that they were engaged," she said.

"Good," he said.

She sat quietly and stared at the water; she thought to herself until she had a question. "Am I a nice person?" she asked.

Randy frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Liz shrugged. "I don't know… I guess I'm asking if I deserve the way Kiana treats me?" she rephrased.

Her husband laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "You're not a bad person. I don't really know what goes on between the two of you when I'm not around, but from what John tells me, I think Kiana just might be jealous," he said.

Liz nodded and waited for Randy to say more; when he didn't, she asked her original question. "But am I a nice person?" she asked.

Randy sighed. "That's a very broad question, Liz. One person might think you're nice; Kiana doesn't think you're nice. That's one of those questions that is based solely on opinions," he said.

Liz pulled away from his hold. "Why can't you just say yes or no?" she asked. "Am I or am I not a nice person?" she asked; this time, angrily.

"Uh… yeah," he answered.

Liz smiled and playfully punch his arm. "Whatever," she said as she returned to her husband's strong arms.

As the couple sat quietly in the sand, Mela approached them.

"Hey," Mela said. "Do you two mind if I sit down?" she asked.

Liz nodded. "Sure; there's plenty of space," she said as she motioned to the seemingly everlasting land of sand.

When Mela sat, she stared into her lap as she played her rehearsed lines over and over in her head. "I'm sorry for what happened back there," she said eventually.

"You don't have to apologize, Mel; it's not your fault," Lis said.

Mela nodded. "Yes, it is. I shouldn't have invited Kiana. I knew there was tension between the two of you and I should have known better than to ask you both to come," she said.

Randy nodded to agree with Mela. "It's over now; there's not really much you can do," he said.

Mela sighed. "I know. I just thought I'd come and let you know how terrible I feel about his whole thing," she said.

Liz smiled. "It's okay, Mel; I promise. Thank you, though, for coming all the way out here to talk to me. I really appreciate it," she said.

From where she sat, Mela hugged Liz and apologized once more. After the moment, Mela excused herself back to the restaurant; on her way there, she saw John going towards the beach. Presumably, he was going to talk to Liz.

Randy saw John approaching; he stood. "I'm going back to dinner," Randy said.

Liz frowned. "And just leave me here?" she asked. Randy nodded towards John; Liz smiled softly when she saw him.

With Randy gone, John took his place next to Liz. "I don't know what to say," John said.

Liz sighed and played with the hem of her long maxi skirt. "You don't have to say anything," she said.

"Yes, I do, Liz," he said. "Kiana has always been out of line with you; I should have broken things off with her in the beginning," he said.

It was Liz's turn to have nothing to say; John continued. "She has always been jealous of you," he said.

Liz scoffed. "Really?" she asked.

John chuckled and nodded. "She has every reason to be at least a little envious, you know," John said with a flirty smile.

Liz returned the smile. She shivered when the wind blew; John offered his arms for warmth. Without a second thought, Liz accepted; nuzzled against John's body, Liz reminisced their short yet meaningful relationship.

"Do you remember Cabo?" she asked.

John smirked. "How could I forget? You were in a swimsuit for almost a month; best month of my life," he said. "I'd love to see you in a swimsuit again; Randy's lucky," he added.

"Can I tell you something?" Liz asked. She felt John nod. "I miss this; us," she said.

John sighed. "Don't do this, Lizzy," he said. "Don't get caught up in this one moment. You have too much to lose right now," he said.

"I'm not doing anything, John. I'm just saying that I miss being with you like this. Just sitting here doing absolutely nothing but enjoying every second. I don't have that with Randy; is it so bad for me to tell you that I like spending time with you?"

John paused to think; he took a deep breath. "He's my best friend, Liz. You and I shouldn't even be friends; Randy's a great guy for not being upset about this friendship," he said. "I miss you, Lizzy; I really do. I can't just sit alone with you in the dark on a beach and expect to just talk," he admitted.

Liz smirked. "No one ever said we were limited to just talking," she said. With a quickness, Liz jumped up and slid out of her long maxi skirt. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" she shouted as she darted towards the crashing waves.

John laughed and followed her; he unbuttoned his starched shirt and wiggled out of his khaki shorts to join her in the water.

"Holy shit!" John groaned. "This water is freezing cold!" he complained.

Liz chuckled. "Yeah, but not as cold as your girlfriend's heart," she said.

John shook his head. "Ex," he said.

She frowned. "Huh?"

"My exgirlfriend. I broke up with her," he said.

Liz was actually shocked. "Really? Why?" she asked.

John chuckled. "Why? Because she crossed so many lines over the last few years. It was time for me to let her go," he said.

"So you're back on the market, huh?" she asked jokingly.

"Well… that's up to you," John said as he made his way over to Liz in the cool water.

Liz backed away from John as he inched closer. "John. No. I'm married… married to your best friend," she said.

"I know. I also know you aren't happy. You can do so much better, Lizzy," he said.

Liz scoffed. "Are you serious right now? Are you really trying to get me to cheat on my husband for you? You aren't some random dude, John. You and Randy are like brothers. It would be wrong of me to cheat on him, but to cheat on him with you would kill him," she said.

John was left speechless as Liz got out of the water. She quickly pulled on her skirt and walked back towards the restaurant. John wasn't far behind her.

"I'm sorry, Liz. It's just that I never got over you. I thought you would be better off without me. I never stopped loving you," he confessed.

Liz turned around to face him with teary eyes. "NO! You don't get to do this to me right now, John! It's not fair. _You_ let me walk away all those years ago. _You_ moved on to Kiana without giving me a second thought. You didn't even try to fight for me! So you have no right to tell me you love me, John, especially not after Kiana gave me shit for so long before you even said anything to her!" she yelled.

"Can I at least tell you why she's so jealous?" John asked.

Liz folded her arms in front of her body and shrugged.

John took a deep breath. "She found your ring," he said.

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What ring?" she asked.

"The engagement ring I was going to use to propose to you," he said.

Liz gasped. "You were going to—"

"Yeah. But Randy had already told me that he was going to ask you. I bowed out and decided that if I wasn't going to marry you, I wasn't going to marry anybody," he said.

Liz didn't know what to say; she stood in front of a man who could have been her husband if Randy hadn't asked her first. She thought about how her life might have been different if she married John instead of Randy. Would she have kids? Would he still be wrestling? Would she still be a sex addict? Would she and Randy still be friends? It was a lot to take in, but Liz couldn't respond.

"Goodnight, John," she said before walking away; not to the restaurant, but to the bungalow she was sharing with her husband.

John waved and sighed as he watched Liz walk away from him. When she was out of his sight, he walked back to the restaurant to join the others. He walked up just as Mela was updating Randy, Wade, Parker, and Seth on Kiana's exclusion from the remainder of the trip.

"The next flight out doesn't leave for another 2 days," Mela announced as John sat down. The rest of the table groaned because the trip was only going to last for 2 days; that meant that whether they liked it or not, Kiana was going to be in Costa Rica for the rest of what was supposed to be a drama free retreat.

John wasn't concerned, though. What was on the forefront of his mind was the fact that Liz neglected to correct him on the status of her happiness with Randy.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 9! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 **

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Special thanks to Ashleymcd25, Emmettluver2010, Ctinaisfashion, ghost303, Shel Grissom, PassionWriter101, and wweanddegrassi for reviewing! Super special thanks to Nom-D. Ploome, heartbreakrollins, and TheGirlInThePinkScarf for being so awesome! **

**THE NEXT MORNING **

Wade yawned loudly as he woke up.

"Thank goodness I'm already awake," Parker mumbled.

Wade smiled sleepily and kissed his wife's neck; he would never tire of her supple, brown skin.

"How is our little one this morning?" he asked a she rubbed her still seemingly flat belly.

She giggled; his touch tickled. "I don't know. I assume the baby is fine; I only found out 2 days ago. We need to figure out a date for a doctor's appointment," she said.

Wade frowned. "Just make it for the day after we get back to the states," he said as if it was obvious.

"I would if you were going to be home; you're working nonstop for the rest of the month," Parker pointed out.

"Take Liz; I trust her with you and the boy," he said with a smile.

Parker chuckled. "That's a really blunt way to tell her I'm pregnant, Bear. 'Hey, Liz, best friend of almost 5 years! You should come with me to my doctors appointment to the OBGYN. Oh yeah. I'm pregnant.' How does that sound?" she asked rhetorically.

Wade shrugged. "Sounds pretty good to me," he said. "Are you still avoiding the topic with her?" he asked.

Parker nodded. "Yeah. I just don't want to see her hurt when I tell her. Now that she's dealing with Kiana and Randy and John all at once, I don't want to add on to her stress," she said.

"I care about her just as much as you do, but if Liz were you real friend, darling, she would be happy for you, regardless," he said. Parker thought quietly as her husband tried to talk some sense into her. "This is our baby, Parker; it's not like she's incapable of having children. If that were the case, I would understand; but since it isn't, I'm sure she can tuck away her drama and be happy with us," he said.

Parker sighed. "Fine. I'll go tell her," she said. "But you're coming with me,"

Wade chuckled and shook his head; he stood and followed Parker out the door and to Liz and Randy's bungalow.

oOo

Before Parker and Wade made it to the other married couple's bungalow, Liz and Randy were having a conversation of their own.

"We need to talk," Liz said as she fastened her pink plunge neck romper.

Randy frowned; he knew by her tone of voice that what she had to say was serious. "About what?" he asked.

Liz sighed. "Uh… John and I talked last night. You have to promise me that you won't say anything to him, okay?" she said.

Randy nodded.

"Okay," she started. "When you left last night, I started talking about the old times between me and him. I told him that I miss being friends with him and spending time with him," she said.

Liz paused to read Randy's emotions; he seemed calm, so she continued. "I guess he took it the wrong way because, he started analyzing our marriage and comparing himself to you in so many words. He sort of suggested that he and I hook up or something. I'm only telling you because he's your friend; but you have to let me handle him, okay?" she said.

Randy scoffed and laughed. "He's an idiot," Randy said with a smirk. "You know John, babe. He's just being John: overly nice and friendly. It's nothing to worry about," he reassured her.

Liz frowned; she didn't get a chance to say anything else to say because there was a knock at the door. It was Parker and Wade.

Liz smiled brightly when she saw two of her good friends on the other side. "Come on in, y'all," she said.

Parker forced a nervous smile. "Hey. Uh, we don't want to stay long; we just had some news that we want to share with you," she said anxiously.

Liz started feeling uneasy, expecting the worst. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" she asked.

Parker nodded and looked to Wade. Instead of telling Randy and Liz the news, Wade only nudged Parker forward. She sighed. "I'm pregnant," she said hardly above a whisper.

There was silence in the waterfront bungalow; Parker's worst nightmare had come true. Liz was speechless; no one had anything to say.

Suddenly, Liz squealed. "For real?!" she asked excitedly.

When Parker realized her best friend was actually happy for her, she nodded. "Yep! I found out a few days ago," she said.

Liz gasped. "And you're just now telling me?" she asked.

Parker shrugged; Wade laughed. "She was afraid that you would be angry or sad to hear such good news in the middle of your situation with Mela and Kiana," he explained.

Liz scoffed. "I would have loved to hear that good news yesterday, girl! You should have told me. I'm so happy for you!" she said as she hugged Parker tightly.

Parker was so relieved that Liz was excited; it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Randy congratulated Wade, as well.

"We need to get ready for the thing Mela set up for us," Parker said.

Liz nodded. "Yeah, we need to get going. She said it was going to be down on the beach," she said. "We have plenty of time to for a quick breakfast. Let's go."

oOo

On the beach, Mela, Seth, Parker, Wade, Liz, Randy, and John had gathered at one of the two tables that had been set up to start what Mela said would be a great exercise. Naturally, everyone was dressed to be active on the beach. What Mela didn't tell them was that the exercise wasn't physical; it was couples' therapy.

"Good morning! I'm Penelope Harkle; I'm a relationship counselor. Your friend brought me here today because she thought all of you would benefit from my services. How about we start with introductions," she said motioning towards the couples as they were sitting around the table.

"I'm Wade; Parker's husband."

"I'm Parker; Wade's wife,"

"I'm Mela; Seth's girlfriend and Randy's ex-fiancé and his son's mother,"

Seth sighed at Mela's long introduction. "I'm Seth; Mela's boyfriend,"

"I'm Liz; Randy's wife."

"I'm Randy; Liz's husband and Mela's son's father,"

"I'm John. I had a girlfriend when we came yesterday, but we broke up last night. If it matters, though, I'm Liz's ex-boyfriend,"

Liz groaned; she thought John had no real reason to bring that up.

The counselor was a bit taken aback by the introductions. "Okay. I can already see some areas that need work. There are a lot of complications at this table, so I'm going to start with the least complicated. I'll be talking to each of you individually, then I'll talk to you as a couple, then we'll meet up and talk as a group about whatever applies," she said.

The group nodded.

"Like I said, I'm going to start with the least complicated. Wade, follow me to the table over here," she said.

Wade nodded and followed her.

oOo

As they sat down, Penelope opened her notebook to a blank page and labeled the top of the page BARRETT.

"I'm just going to ask you a series of questions; I'm not going to respond to your answers, I'll only write them down so that you and your wife can discuss them when you two come together in the end," she explained.

Wade nodded.

"Okay. So you and Parker have been married for how long?" she asked.

"One year in 2 weeks," he said.

She smiled and made notes. "Congratulations. If there was one thing you would change about your one year of marriage what would it be and why?" she asked.

Wade thought for a moment. "Nothing. I wouldn't change a thing. This past year has been the most brilliant year of my life. I couldn't be happier with Parker. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone or anything ever before. She's the light of my life; I would do anything for her," he said.

Penelope nodded and made notes. "Where do you see yourself and Parker in 5 years?" she asked.

Wade smiled. "Hopefully we'll have more kids; we just found out she's pregnant. Maybe I'll still be wrestling. If not, so be it. She'll probably still be writing; she an author, you know," he said.

Again, Penelope made notes on the page. "Alright. You can go back to the table. Send Parker over here," she said.

oOo

"Hello, Parker. How are you?" Penelope asked.

Parker smiled as she sat down. "I'm pretty good. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm just fine. I just had a nice conversation with your husband," Penelope said. "I'm going to ask you a few questions but I won't respond to any of them. I'll just note your answers then have you and Wade talk about them together."

Parker nodded.  
"Okay. How long have you been married?" she asked.

Parker smiled. "One year; we dated for a few years before we got married, though," she said.

Penelope made a note as she asked her next question. "If you could change one thing about your one year of marriage, what would it be and why?" she asked.

Parker pondered the question quietly. "I guess I would change his level of affection. When we were dating, I just assumed he was reserved. After we got married, I expected that to change, but it didn't. I just wish he would show me how much he loves me instead of telling me. He's great with his talking about his feelings, but I would love to see him show me how he feels sometimes," she said.

The counselor nodded and made notes. "Last question: where do you see yourself and Wade in 5 years?" she asked.

"In England, vacationing with our kids. We don't have them right now, but I'm pregnant and we definitely want more," she said.

Penelope nodded and waved Wade over from the table with the group.

"Now that the two of you are together, I want to discuss your answers," Penelope said.

Both Wade and Parker nodded.

"I don't see any problems within your marriage, but I do want to touch base on Parker's answer to what she would change about your one year of marriage. First of all, Parker, you'll be happy to know that Wade said that he wouldn't change a thing; he said that you are the light of his life and that he would do anything for you," she said.

Parker looked at Wade lovingly.

"Which brings us to Parker's answer. Tell Wade what you told me, Parker," Penelope said.

Parker took a deep breath. "It's nothing bad, Bear. I just wish that you would be more physically affectionate. You are amazing with all the other types of affection; verbal, emotional, mental, et cetera. But you don't really _show_ me that you love me," she said.

Wade listened intently and thought about what she said.

"What are you thinking, Wade?" Penelope asked.

He sighed. "I feel terrible because I feel like she thinks I don't love her," He turned to Parker and took her hands in his own. "I promise you, darling, that I will do whatever it takes to show you how much I love you. I'm so sorry that I haven't been doing a very good job of that already. Please forgive me," he told her.

Parker smiled and kissed her husband's lips. "Of course I forgive you; I should have told you how I felt before now," she said.

"I'm just glad you told me. Better late than never, right?" he said.

Parker nodded.

"Alright," Penelope said. "You both can go back to the table but send Mela over," she said.

oOo

Penelope gave Mela the same spiel she gave Mela and Wade; she jumped right into the questions.

"So, Mela, how long have you and Seth been dating?" she asked.

Mela thought for a moment. "Almost 9 months," she said.

The counselor nodded and made notes. "If anything, what would you change about those 9 months?" she asked.

Mela sighed. "I wish I would have told Seth the truth about my son; I told him that my son's father had died before he was born, but the truth is that my son's father is one of Seth's coworkers: Randy," she said.

Penelope's eyes widened, but she took notes anyway.

"Last question: where do you see Seth and yourself in 5 years," she asked.

Mela shrugged. "I don't know. We're still pretty fresh; I really don't know how we're end up," she said.

"Alright," Penelope said as she wrote Mela's answer. "You can go back but send Seth," she said.

oOo

"Hey, Doc," Seth said as he sat down.

Penelope chuckled. "Hi, but please call me Penelope. I haven't gotten my doctorate yet, but I'm working on it," she said.

Seth nodded and waited for the questions.

"So how long have you and Mela been together?" she asked.

Seth counted on his fingers. "9 months, I guess," he shrugged.

"And if you could change one thing about your relationship, what would it be?" Penelope asked.

Seth shrugged. "I don't know. I never really thought about that," he said. After he took so long to think, Penelope moved on to the last question. "Where do you see the relationship in 5 years?" she asked.

Seth shrugged.

Penelopy sighed and made notes before she waved over Mela.

"Okay… I have no idea what's going on here or even why you two are together. Neither of you seem to have any plans for the future. Neither of you could think of where you would be in 5 years. That's a little scary since you've been together for about 9 months. Around this time is when couples decide whether or not they are truly meant to be together. I think you two need to sit down and talk about that," she said.

"You both can leave, but send me Liz," she said.

oOo

"Alrighty, Liz. You and Randy seem to have a pretty difficult relationship going," she said.

Liz mumbled. "You could say that again," she said. "It's not that our relationship is difficult, it's just that so many other people are involved when they don't need to be. It's annoying," she said.

Penelope nodded while she jotted down the information. "How long have you been married?" she asked.

"3 years," Liz answered proudly.

"If you could change anything about your 3 years of marriage, what would that be?"

"Well," Liz started. "I really wish Randy and Randy weren't such good friends because I would feel a whole lot better about being friends with John," she said.

After a pause, Liz changed her answer. "No! I would add kids. I've always wanted kids, but Randy has been hesitant. So yeah, I'd add kids," she answered.

"In 5 years, where do you see you and Randy?" Penelope asked.

Liz thought quietly for a moment. "I don't know," she finally said. "I have never thought that far into the future. I guess, I would like to see us as a stronger team. You know what I mean? I want our marriage to be like the best tag team in WWE history. In 5 years, I want us to be so bonded, so well meshed that we operate like a main event team; because right now, it's like we've been thrown together for the sake of a midcard tag team match," Liz said.

Penelope was quite impressed with the wrestling analogies Liz used; they actually made sense. "Okay, then. That's that; you can go back and send me Randy," Penelope said as she flipped to a new page in her notebook.

oOo

"The level of stress. Liz is always under so much stress and I can see how it takes a toll on her. I hate how stressed out she is all the time. The only time she's relaxed is when she's cooking, but I know she can't cook 24/7 to relief her stress. So the one change I would make would be to take away everything that has ever stressed her out: Kiana, SAA, her busy schedule, me being gone all the time…" he said.

Penelope was surprised by Randy's selfless answer; she took a little while longer to note his response.

"Last one… Where do you see you and Liz in 5 years?" she asked.

Randy inhaled sharply. "5 years… I will have been wrestling for about 18 years, so I hope to be closer to retirement. I love my job, but Liz really wants a family, so we'd probably have at least one kid by then. Then, if we have kids, we'd move back to St. Louis, so there's that. Yeah, in 5 years, we'd be in St. Louis with at least one kid," he said.

Penelope took notes; before she could wave Liz back over, Liz had already popped up.

"Okay," Penelope started. "I don't even know where to start. So, here are my notes and you two can work that out," she said as she handed Liz Randy's answers and handed Randy Liz's answers.

They quietly read over the answers and nodded as if the topics had already been discussed.

"Well, that's nothing new," Liz said with a chuckle when she was done. Randy nodded to agree.

"Good. I'm glad you're on the same page. Go back with the group and send John over," she said.

oOo

"Hello, John. Since you don't have a partner here, our conversation is going to be a little different from the rest. We'll just talk; I won't ask the same questions I asked the others. I don't even know what I'm going to ask. This is purely freestyle," she said.

John nodded.

"Okay. So tell me why you're here alone," she said.

"I broke up with my girlfriend the night we got here," he said.

"Why is that?" she asked.

John sighed. "It was inevitable; years of complications and misery finally caught up with me," he said.

She nodded. "So, why did you choose to stay on the couples' retreat if you weren't a couple?" she asked.

"Well, our friend, Mela, who set this up asked Kiana to leave last night but the next flight out is the flight that we were all taking after the retreat. So, there's no way we can leave," he said.

The therapist frowned when she recognized Kiana's name. "Kiana?" she asked as she flipped through her notes from Liz and Randy's interview. "Is that the same Kiana Liz has been fighting with?"

John nodded.

Penelope smirked. "Are you sure that's the only reason why you stayed? If there was a flight out last night, would you have gone?" she asked.

John chuckled and sighed. "Probably," he lied.

"You know I've already talked to Liz; why don't you tell me about you two," she said.

John took a deep breath. "There's really not much to say. I'm in love with her; always have been, always will be. But I can't do anything about it because she's married to my best friend. I just don't think he deserves her; he doesn't make her happy," he said.

The therapist cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you think he doesn't make her happy?" she asked.

"He won't let her have kids. I think the only reason she's still with him is so she can convince him to let her have his kids. But after 3 almost 4 years, I don't think that's going to happen," he said.

The therapist made notes. "But you don't know that she's not happy," she said.

John nodded. "Yes, I do. I know her like the back of my hand. She won't admit it, but she's miserable. I asked her last night if she was happy and she couldn't give me a straight answer. If she was happy, she would have told me so," he said.

The therapist sighed. "Alright. I think we're done here. Let's go join the group," she said.

John nodded and followed her.

At the table, Penelope took a deep breath before she addressed the group. "I really hope I was of some help today because all of you seemed to be a little in need. I really suggest that all of you have at least one day a week to vent or express to your spouse any and everything that had been worrisome. It seems like the roots of all of your problems stem from stress so reliving that stress will make for a successful marriage and partnership. It was great to meet all of you and I hope that you've learned something today,"

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. When you review, you'll get a sneak peek at chapter 10. **


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